Oxford University Press (OUP) is once again gathering avid readers, writers, academics, and literary figures from across Pakistan and the world at the 3rd Islamabad Literature Festival to be held from April 24 until the 26th at the Hotel Margalla.
OUP’s previous literature festivals have been heralded as massive successes, attracting a great deal of attention among the literary and intellectual communities in the country. In Islamabad last year, literary enthusiasts thronged to the ILF to meet renowned authors and attend over 60 interactive sessions.
While talking to Pakistan Today, OUP’s Ameena Saiyid highlighted that the 3rd Islamabad Literature Festival will feature, talks/interviews, panel discussions, Mushaira, English poetry recitation, book fair, book launches, readings, author signings, film screening, performing arts, Sufi music, art exhibitions by Art Now, and much more.
Apart from Pakistani authors, poets, and academics, speakers from UK, USA, France, India and Australia will also be participating in the ILF. The keynote speakers at the opening and closing ceremonies will be Anatol Lieven, Ataul Haq Qasmi, Zehra Nigah and the Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Harding.
Joining the roaster of prominent speakers at the third ILF will be Ahmed Fouad, Ali Akbar Natiq, Almas Bobby, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Asif Noorani, Asif Raza Mir, Ataul Haq Qasmi, Athar Tahir, Bilal Tanweer, Aitzaz Ahsan, Fatema Hassan, Farooq Qaiser, Feryal Ali Gauhar, Harris Khalique, Haseena Moin, Hina Jillani, IA Rehman, Ilona Yusuf, Ikram Sehgal, Intizar Husain, Kishwar Naheed, Masood Ashar, Mohammed Hanif, Mujahid Barelvi, Mushahid Hussain, Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Nasim Zehra, Raju Jamil,Sarwat Mohiuddin, Shahid Nadeem, Shandana Minhas, Shehryar Fazli, Sorayya Khan, Syed Talat Hussain, Syeda Abida Hussain, Zaheda Hina, Zehra Nigah and Zobaida Jalal.
The event will also feature a performance on Kishwar Naheed’s poem ‘Yaey Hum Gunahgaar Aurtain Haen’ by Feriyal Aslam, dramatic readings of Ismat Chughtai’s stories by Feryal Ali Gauhar, English Poetry Recitation, film screening of ‘Life’s Worth LivIng’, and Sufi Music by the Rafi Peer Ensemble.