The recently held Karachi Literature Festival is a success story. Credit goes to the organisers who arranged such a marvellous event in spite of the security risks that are thwarting the peace of the city of lights Karachi. Hats off to all the writers, thinkers and bookworms, who thronged the halls to attend the fascinating event.
The auspicious occasion has been a whiff of fresh air for literature-starved bibliophiles. It is extremely important that more such remarkable events are organised regularly. Young Pakistani writers have immense potential which can be nurtured provided it is channelled through such similar information-rich and reader-writer interactive events.
Such literary gatherings also provide aspiring writers with a platform through which they can interact and exchange ideas with world-renowned writers. Moreover, ordinary book lovers can also make use of this opportunity to whet their appetite for the written word and meet their favourite writers. Such healthy activities will also inculcate the rapidly dying habit of reading in the youth and motivate them to bring change in society through the power of pen and not fiery speeches.
Hopefully, the Karachi Literature Festival and similar such efforts will continue and in the upcoming years Pakistan will organise such events on a massive scale like the recently held Jaipur Literary Festival in India and Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka.
ZAINAB IHSAN
Lahore
