Literary festivals bring litterateurs together in Lahore and Karachi

There appears to be no written history  available to explain  as to when staging festivals or festival celebrations had started  but perhaps in ancient Greece and Rome the festivals were staged which were mostly linked with religion or some political process. However in recent years a mushroom growth of festivals have been witnessed particularly in the sub-continent of India and Pakistan where these festivals are dedicated to the world of literature and other fields of cultural expressions.

These literary festivals as they are called have now become an essential part of cultural calendar in many metropolitan cities of the two countries. From Jaipur to Karachi and from Lahore to Delhi these literary festivals are much awaited events as they transport a great deal of magic, color and excitement beside promoting a very high quality debate  not only confining to the world of literature but beyond.Featuring  acclaimed international writers, thinkers, poets, film makers, painters and others possessing creative talents  these assemblies have proved  that they are perfect forum for any intellectual exercise as well as for promoting exchange of ideas. For many the festivals work as stress relievers and an exercise to balance their emotions. Nothing brings people like festivals do.

Listening an Urdu Mushaira or a  lecture of an academician explaining a political narratives is a source of delight and relaxation for many..

Pakistan is a home to many festivals including religious but literary festivals stands out as the real harbingers of bringing the people together from various religious, economic and social backgrounds. The city of Karachi which had been suffering with a mist of ethnic and sectarian violence the past many years made a debut on the scene of literary activities by holding  a literary festival in 2010. Karachi Literature Festival earned unprecedented success in terms of public response and overwhelming participation of guest within the country and abroad. Karachi Festival  which entered in its 8th  edition this year  is the most popular literary and cultural gathering of the country. and also a credible symbol of cultural life in Pakistan.

This goes to show , without any doubt, that the popularity  which the Karachi Festival has generated for the public at large  as much as it also goes to show the yearning of people for intellectual pursuits. It also goes to show that people even if they  could not have any intellectual capacity still they year for academic and intellectual refreshment.

Inspired  by constant success and the momentum gained the organizers of Karachi Festival  moved ahead and launched Children Literary Festival in 2011 bringing more success at their door steps.This year when Pakistan is celebrating its 70th birthday the managers of Karachi arecrossing the borders and  moving to London in May as a part of Alchemy Festival to be held at prestigious South Bank Center.

The trio of Pakistani  literary festival starts its journey from Karachi which is followed by Lahore  and finally culminating  in the foothills of Margalla of Islamabad. According to organizers the aim of holding these  literary festivals are not merely arranging  a get-together of writers and their readers, but it is also aimed at conveying a message to the international community that Pakistan is a country rooted in diverse culture and a rich heritage.

Participation of literary giant Shams-ur-Rehman Farooqi and writer Shohba De from India who addressed the large crowd in the first edition surprised their audience is a testimony when they made a comparison with Jaipur to Karachi. Former was declared larger in its size while latter was declared that it had more ” warmth”.

This year in times when Karachi Festival was  called jingoism was very much in the air  but  it was a rare to witness artist and journalist hailing from India,Pakistan and Bangladesh were found exploring avenues for cooperation, peace, and understanding. They called collaboration and carrying out joint ventures in the field of cinema.

Even the session began with a one minute silence in memory of  veteran  Om Puri testified that there  was no animosity between in the helm of people to people contact The very fact that floor of the discussion opened with remembrance of Om Puri fully displayed that artists  never  believed in geographical  boundaries.Indian journalist Priyanka Jha went further ahead by conveying the popular sentiments of Indian population  that they ” really enjoy Mahira Khan performance in Raees beside incontestable following  which Fawad Khan bags across the border.

Dr Peter Frankopan a historian at Oxford University appeared  with his new book ” The Silk Roads’  at Lahore Festival  referred to the difficult situation which Pakistan is experiencing advocated that ” exercise of annual resistance must remain alive” to defeat the the obscurantist mindset.

He concluded by saying that the voices of  writers, journalists, historians, artists, musicians from all over the globe must continue”