14th KLF

The three-day Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) will be held from February 17 to 19 at Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi.

The theme of this year’s KLF is People, Planet and Possibilities focusing on the current economic and geo-political challenges facing Pakistan, the impact of climate change resulting in catastrophic floods in Pakistan and recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and exploring possibilities through thought-provoking panel discussions and book launches.

This year there will be over 200 speakers including 10 international speakers from eight countries (Pakistan, UK, US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany and France). As always, the KLF 2023, like the ones before aims to encourage thought-provoking discussions providing an environment of openness, pluralism, and intellectual discourse.

There will be over 60 sessions, including 24 book launches with a mix of both Urdu and English. All sessions will be broadcast live around the world on OUP’s social media channels. Visitors and the online audience will also have the chance to enjoy Urdu and English poetry readings, feature film and a series of short independent film screenings. A first this year will be the presence of two Booker Prize winning authors, Damon Galgut in 2021 and Shehan Karunatilaka for 2022.

A total of 7 literary awards for Pakistani authors will be announced at the opening ceremony. The prizes will recognise pioneering work in Urdu prose and poetry, and English fiction, which are sponsored by Getz Pharma. KLF also celebrates the diversity of languages and cultures across the country by recognising the best books in Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi and Pashto languages. These awards are supported by the Little Book Company.

Some of the sessions this year will focus on environment, climate change, education, Edtech, economy, and D&I. We are excited to once again bring together a diverse group of writers, thinkers, and literary enthusiasts from Pakistan and around the world to share their stories, ideas, and perspectives. This festival is a testament to the power of the written word and the vital role it plays in shaping our communities.

Each year, the speakers/participants have been outstanding, including, but not limited to, keynote speakers of the status of: Late Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (2010); Karen Armstrong (2011); William Dalrymple (2012); Intizar Husain and Nadeem Aslam (2013); Kamila Shamsie, Rajmohan Gandhi, and Raza Ali Abidi (2014); Nayantara Sahgal and Zehra Nigah (2015); Fahmida Riaz, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, and Ziauddin Sardar (2016); Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Ayesha Jalal, Bobby Sager, and Mohammed Hanif (2017); Francis Robinson, Noorul Huda Shah, Anwar Maqsood, Amit Chaudhuri, and Mani Shankar Aiyar (2018); Deborah Baker, I.A. Rehman, Ishrat Husain, Zehra Nigah, and Muneeza Shamsie (2019). William Dalrymple, Zaheda Hina, Ahdaf Soueif, and Harris Khalique (2020), Zia Mohyeddin, Victoria Schofield, Hanif Kureshi, and Sardar Masood Khan (2021).

The organizers of the 14th KLF are excited to welcome visitors and look forward to the exciting days of enlightening experience and memorable moments.
As before, KLF also looks forward to the pormise of Tomorrow. It seeks to explore new writings, new trends, and new technologies, and provide a platform for emerging authors and writers.

See you at Beach Luxury Hotel on 17, 18, and 19 February 2023! No need to register… just turn up!