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Pakistan’s biggest litfest charmed the city of lights from February 16-18 with insightful panels and more
The 15th edition of the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) concluded its three-day at the Beach Luxury Hotel on Sunday. Steeped in the tradition of delving into the pulse of contemporary issues, this year’s theme, ‘Sustainability: Words changing Mindsets,’ promised a profound exploration of critical challenges facing the city, the country and the world.
With a robust lineup of over 76 sessions, including 25 book launches in both Urdu and English, KLF 2024 entertained a global audience as per usual with live streaming on OUP’s social media channels, breaking geographical barriers and making the festival a truly international affair. Poetry readings, feature films and a curated series of short independent film screenings added vibrancy to the occasion.
As the sun set on a weekend filled with intellectual engagement and literary fervour, here are eight key points to ponder over from this year’s KLF:
1. Amtul Baweja talks constructive criticism
KLF15 celebrated the promise of tomorrow with one enlightening panel focusing on the future of emerging entertainment and content creation formats like vlogging. ‘Vlogvolution: Content beyond Likes’ gathered big social media personalities: Bilal Hassan, Osamah Nasir, Amtul Baweja and Kazi Akber to address the unique challenges of creating engaging and authentic content in a saturated market.
Actor and former VJ Anoushey Ashraf moderated the panel that shed light on social media’s hypervisibility and the fine line between criticism and personal attack.
“I always say I’m open to criticism as long as it’s about the content,” Baweja stated on the subject of online vitriol. “Tell me my direction wasn’t good, my storytelling could be better, my shots can be better – that’s good criticism.” The comedian urged online critics to consider if they would make similar comments face-to-face, emphasising the significance of respect and communication even in public spaces.
“People say it’s a public platform but does anyone go to a public park and shout disparaging remarks at others?” Baweja set the record straight that public platforms and spaces are not a free licence to say just about anything.
2. Nadya Chishty Mujahid on writing flawed characters
“If you’re too perfect, why would anyone want to write about you?” offered Nadya Chishty Mujahid while she launched her book Timeless College Tales in conversation with moderator Nusrat Khawaja. The author reflected on the power dynamics and rivalries on college campuses that undergird her latest offering. At a time when the ‘antihero’ has become a popular figure, Mujahid described her characters as heroic, yet flawed, explaining that their appeal is driven by their imperfections.
According to Mujahid, these gritty and explicit stories are meant to give readers insight into the experiences of today’s youth. When asked about the short story format, she attributed its success to feedback from her students, delving into how she does not have the experience of a novelist but the format and extensive engagement from her students made her book possible.
3. Remembering Noor Jehan’s perfectionism
In a panel dedicated to late musical icon Noor Jehan, the singer’s daughter Nazia Ejaz Khan, her granddaughter Sonya Jehan and veteran musician Arshad Mahmud made an appearance to pay homage. Grandson of Noor Jehan, Ahmad Ali Butt moderated the heartfelt conversation, while the panelists divulged the Jadon Holi Jayee singer’s impressive flair for punctuality.
Mahmud recalled the time a recording session ended late at night and he expressed doubts after Noor Jehan promised to show up at 8 in the morning to resume. “Next day, she was there at 8 on the dot,” the composer lauded her discipline and punctuality, calling her “a total professional.”
Khan nodded in agreement, saying, “I would add to that. Her work ethic is something that has inspired me all my life. She expected excellence and she was ready to work hard for it. When she would see people approaching their work with dishonesty, she would say that if you’re not true to your own work, you can’t be true to anyone in your life.”
