Karachi Literature Festival Concludes After Vibrant Cultural Debates

Karachi Literature Festival – (Web Desk) – The 17th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) wrapped up on its third and final day with energy, ideas, and rich cultural exchange. The festival once again brought together literature, culture, education, and open public discussion under one vibrant platform.

From thought-provoking debates in the morning to a soulful qawwali performance in the evening, the event highlighted KLF’s standing as Pakistan’s most open and engaging intellectual gathering.

The final day began with an inter-school debate titled “Literature Today: Elitist or Essential?”, sparking meaningful conversations about accessibility, relevance, and the future of literature. Students from Karachi Grammar School (KGS), Lyceum, and Cedar College participated, with KGS emerging as the winner. Dramatic readings by Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, Ali Mazhar, and Usman Qureshi added creative flair to the literary atmosphere.

Several sessions paid tribute to both classic and contemporary writers, while others explored pressing global and local topics. These included women and children’s health in the context of climate change, changing power trends in South Asia, civic accountability and policing in Karachi, and the evolving landscape of higher education.

Speaking during one session, physicist and academic Pervez Hoodbhoy stressed the importance of academic freedom, saying universities should nurture independent thinking rather than restrict young minds.

Over the course of three days, books remained central to the festival, with well-attended launches and author discussions reflecting the public’s strong interest in literature.

Highlights included Rebel English Academy by Mohammed Hanif, Umar Mujhay Likhti Hai by Kishwar Naheed, Pakistan Cricket Chronicles 1948-2024, and new translations and poetry collections showcasing Pakistan’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

Sessions such as “Future Shock: Dystopia in a Dystopian World”, and “Karachi Between the Lines” explored global and local literary traditions through fresh perspectives.

The Youth Pavilion buzzed with activity, hosting storytelling, writing and calligraphy workshops, theatre, dance, music, and dialogues aimed at nurturing creativity and serious thinking.

School performances, interactive theatre sessions, and discussions on skills for the future highlighted KLF’s commitment to engaging the next generation of readers, writers, and thinkers.

Culture and public-interest sessions added further depth, covering Pakistani television drama, media in a changing world, artificial intelligence, and the role of museums and curation.

Film screenings, dramatic readings, and music performances enriched the festival atmosphere, while “The Great KLF Debate: Will AI Take Over?” attracted enthusiastic audience participation.

Salma Alam, CEO Durbeen said, “We are planning on scaling up teachers’ skills. A good teacher is a good educator. We are working on a public-private partnership to set up a graduate program to produce teachers’ educators.”

Session on “Hope, Faith, and the Miracle of Survival” drew crowds. Zafar Masud said, “My life experience can make people know how it feels when you are so near to death and somehow you escape it. Every person has to face death but my book may enable you to set priorities in life.”

Amin Gulgee talked about his handbook Gulgee Museum in the session with Nicolas Engel. Film screenings included Screen Locked and 2025-26 Banff World Tour. Pakistani TV drama was discussed in the session “Adakari, Hidayatkari ya Kahani?”

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The festival concluded with a memorable closing ceremony in the Main Garden. Acclaimed writer Mohammed Hanif delivered a keynote address on literature’s enduring power to question, resist, and imagine. Daniel Arsenault, Counsellor High Commission of Canada, Sibtain Naqvi, Head of Institution Branding and Narratives, Getz Pharma, and Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan, gave the vote of thanks, followed by a soul-stirring qawwali performance by Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, bringing the 17th Karachi Literature Festival to a resonant and uplifting close.