Literature has special place in Pakistan’s national psyche, says British envoy

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew CMG on Friday said that literature has a special place in Pakistan’s national psyche.

He stated this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF) at Lok Virsa in Islamabad. The ILF is in its fourth year and the speakers this weekend included Quaisra Shahraz and Anatol Lieven.

Thomas Drew CMG said, “ILF like its sister festivals in Karachi and Lahore – is a celebration of literature, of art and of culture. Literature shows the depth, variety, colour and texture that anyone visiting this country can see, but is too often invisible to those outside.”

“You might say that I could make comments like this at arts festivals in many countries. Perhaps, but to an outsider at least, literature seems here to have a special place in the national psyche” he added.

He said that even though 400 years after the death of William Shakespeare they don’t have public holidays around it; and no literary figure plays such a prominent role in the national consciousness of UK as Allama Iqbal does in Pakistan.

He also mentioned the many joint British and Pakistani authors like Tariq Ali, Mohsin Hamid and Qaisra Shahraz. Qaisra too also be appearing at the ILF. They are making a mark in both in UK and Pakistan, he added.

He announced the re-opening of the British Council Libraries in Lahore and Karachi – with brand new modern buildings, facilities – and books.

Thomas Drew CMG said that for those who can’t reach them, the British Council is also launching a Digital Library, which will offer access to over 5,000 journals, 30,000 books, films, discussions as well as a poem of the day, book of the week and film of the month.