The sixth Karachi Literature Festival 2015 under the banner of the Oxford University Press kicked off with all its colours at the Beach Luxury Hotel on Friday.
Welcoming the guests at the inauguration ceremony, Oxford University Press Managing Director Ameena Saiyid said that events like KLF were part of democracy which assist stimulating dialogue and the exchange of ideas which promote understanding, harmony and inclusiveness.
“The word ‘festival’ is the operative word. This is not a seminar or conference or convention,” she said, adding that despite the notion that reading habit was declining around 70,000 people attended KLF last year with books being sold like “hot cakes”.
Speaking on the occasion, founder of the Karachi and Islamabad literature festivals, Asif Farrukhi said that these six years have raised six questions in the minds of the participants attending KLF. “We need to answer these questions and save literature.”He pressed that countless books have been discussed over these six years since the festival came into being.
Renowned journalist and member of the ‘I am Karachi’ consortium, Ghazi Salahuddin addressed the participants urging the members of the civil society to play their role in bringing peace to the city. “Karachi is a city of its kind—a city that lacks love,” he stated.
He said that the civil society is now in a battle on the cultural front and needs to fight to reclaim public spaces and promote art and culture.
Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Adriano ChiodiCianfarani stressed that events such as the KLF worked in bridging the cultural gap between nations. “KLF provides a platform to open constructive debate for people.”
The speeches were followed by keynote addresses by Nayantara Sehgal and Zehra Nigah.
Speaking to the participants, Nayantara Sehgal said that though we are here to celebrate literature we should understand that literature is in danger which is under attack.
“Politics has become part of literature. Politics might not have affected Jane Austen’s writing but it has now affected private lives to such an extent that it reflects in the writing of various writers.”
She further elaborated that writing had crossed borders but it was the writers who have recently done so. “This has produced a different genre of writing which is not home written,” she said.
Pakistani renowned writer Zehra Nigah than engaged the audience with her usual style. “Nothing can replace books which are still read with the same enthusiasm as it was decades ago.”
The speeches were followed by awards of the KLF-Embassy of France best fiction and KLF Coca-Cola best non-fiction books. The award for best non-fiction was given to Naeem Qureshi for his book ottoman Turkey, Ataturk and Muslim South Asia: Perspectives, Perceptions and Responses while the award for best fiction was given to Shandana Minhas.
The evening was concluded by a performance by Nighat Chaodhry.
German Ambassador Dr Cyrill Nunn and US Counsel General Brian Heath were also present on the occasion.
The Karachi Literature Festival will continue for the next two days.