Karachi Literature Festival 2012

KARACHI: Regaining its historic exuberance and love for art and literature, Karachi, with the grand two-day 3rd Karachi Literature Festival once again turned into a ‘litropolis’ today.

A successful operative collaboration of Oxford Press and British Council has given city its much needed nutrition of literature and art- a break away from the routinely featured political instability and social misery.

The first day of the festival, starting from 9:30am and ended at 10:00 pm at the Carlton Hotel and Resorts, has already set the city on a uniquely modern pulse, only to fasten towards its final day tomorrow.

It promises a palette of fringe events including;

• Film Screenings
• Batain aur Mulaqatain
• Author Signings
• Puppet Shows by Rafi Peer Theatre
• Walkabout performance
• Book Fair
• Food Court

Shedding the traditional constraints of security and safety, a number of widely renowned and acclaimed writers and scholars including; Shobha De, Asif Noorani , Asif Farrukhi, Hanif Kureshi, Kamila Shamsie, William Dalrymple, Mohsin Hamid, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Navid Kermani, Maleeha Lodhi, Ayesha Siddiqa, Intizar Hussain, Zaheda Hina and others made their appearance to prove that art can sublime every sense of fright and terror. The flamboyant ‘superstar’ Shobha De said, ‘I’ve not come here to sell my book. I’m here because the Pakistanis and in particular Karachiites are very hospitable.’

Candid and humor-repleted was the session with ShobhaDe , moderated by Asif Farrukhi. She focused on certain societal stereotypes that sanction exploitation of women and confine her to a certain image stereotypes as well. And where she eschews from being categorized as a women writer, her narrative is indeed reflective of the poignant state of women even in today’s world, ‘I’m not a flag-raving feminist but I believe one has to stand up and speak for oneself.’

Robin Yassin’s creative writing session also came out hugely successful as he intricately tried to teach the flair of folding an ordinary personal account into an infectiously popular bestseller. However, when he asked people to try giving it a shot there and then, the audience hiccupped a little before letting their creativity out without inhibitions.

A session of writers signifying women’s voices through their writing captivated quite a bunch of women, with Maniza Naqvi, Bina Shah, Nafisa Haji and Marilyn Wyatt sharing their experience as writers and also readers, evocative through their own and other literary works.

The first day of the event also featured several film-screenings and cinema noirs, including ‘Meherjaan’ and ‘A Certain Liberation’, followed by Q&A sessions with the team. This distinguished this time’s festival from the previous two.

An assimilated artistic influence that the festival has provided the Karachiites will hopefully help them resume their lost interest in reading. However what somehow dampens the significance of the high-profile festival is that it appears to be meant for elites only; or those who can access the vicinity in their four-wheelers. It may perhaps take a couple of more years for the festival to cater to a common man in Pakistan who loves and treasures literature and art.