The 12th edition of Karachi’s Literature Festival opened on a mellow note, following the news of renowned playwright, Haseena Moin’s demise. The event’s organisers called her death a “great tragedy” as Arshad Husain, Oxford University Press’ managing director, began his address with a tribute to the late playwright.
“It is a great tragedy for the entire literary community and the country at large for having lost such a great literary mind who transformed television over the past several decades,” he said.
The Karachi Literary Festival assumed a virtual role this year, as the coronavirus pandemic rages on globally. The three-day festival commenced on March 26 and is to conclude on March 28, with its central focus on “bringing together Pakistani and International writers to promote reading and showcase writing at its best.”
Today’s event features prominent literary names such as Ben Okri, Vali Nasr, Ahdaf Soueif, Amjad Noorani, Amy Christianson and Arfa Sayeda Zehra among a plethora of others.
Although the original model of the literature festival has been undeniably missed this year, the absence of a physical stage has opened up greater avenues, unimaginable with the limitations of the previous model. A virtual KLF has meant a significant alleviation of costs and security concerns while accumulating literary giants from across the globe to a single space.
