I am trying to recuperate after a hectic and thoroughly stimulating Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), which has evolved into a grand show of Pakistan's writings and increasingly a space for the endangered liberals to gather and mollycoddle oneanother. The venue - a quiet hotel in the posh Defence - has been criticized for being inaccessible to many city dwellers who live in the 'other' Karachi[s]. Spotlight on English language is also an issue for many who think that 'literature' has been reduced to what is being said in the global language thus excluding the 'vernacular' languages.

Admittedly, the organisers - Oxford University Press (OUP) and the British Council - attempted to overcome these constraints by wider publicity and also inclusion of Urdu literary giants and space to the regional languages and marginalised issues such as Balochistan and the status of minorities in Pakistan among the themes of the festival. However, the real feat achieved by OUP was the participation of luminaries like Hanif Kureshi and Vikram Seth who undoubtedly are finest of writers across the globe. The festival also attracted William Dalrymple who in himself represents a curious case of West searching the East and redefining "nativity". Mirza Waheed, the author of a recent novel on Kashmir was also among the list of attendees. Shobha De, the iconic bestseller, also spoke at the festival drawing huge crowds.

Other than the usual suspects of writers in English, we had Intizar Hussain, Kishwar Naheed, Fahmida Riaz, and Iftikhar Arif, among others from the world of Urdu writers.

A session with Iftikhar Arif and Kishwar Naheed, which I moderated, was utterly delightful as the two poets said very few words and conversed in poetry with each other and the audience. Luckily Intizar Hussain entered the room and since the room was packed, I invited him on the stage, which simply made the session most memorable. Hussain wrapped up the session with a fair assessment of the rich layers of literature that contemporary Pakistan was producing; and also warned the cynics that literature from areas that comprise Pakistan was alive and extraordinary in its quality.

However, Khaled Ahmed in another session had a different take. Ahmed held that the English language provided greater freedom to the writers as controversial themes could not be explored in the vernacular due to its linguistic limitations as well as the prevalent climate of extremism and the threats to free expression. Regardless of which stance one takes, the debate was useful and has initiated a dialogue that needs to take place within Pakistan especially among the literati.

This year's KLF was wide ranging as it touched upon several dimensions of contemporary Pakistani reality. The issues of society, economy, nuclearisation and media also found space within the packed two days. The known divides came into sharp focus: the optimists who consider Pakistan's security statehood as a given versus those who argue for a more democratic Pakistan free of its permanent state of martial rule. The session on Anatol Lieven to discuss his voluminous book - "Pakistan: A Hard Country" was meant to be moderated by Dr Ayesha Siddiqa. However, last minute changes were made to the schedule to ostensibly garner a wider discussion. Dr Siddiqa after an initial decision to walk away decided to participate and took on Lieven's conception of Pakistan. In a way this was a major session, which allowed for some discussion on the nature of Pakistani state and Lieven's 'soft' stance on the military. Given the nature of the session and the time, it was not possible to have a thorough debate on the issues but the feedback from the panelists and a few questions from the audience provided the much needed feedback to a major book on Pakistan.

Hanif Kureshi and Vikram Seth, the greats at the festival generated much excitement. I could not attend Kureshi's sessions but heard him at the closing ceremony where he was funny, poignant and most entertaining. The session with Seth moderated by Shaista Sirajuddin was a feast. The largest venue was jam-packed with people standing and sitting on the floor. Seth came across as magical as his writings: gentle, lyrical, thoughtful and completely unpretentious. His readings of poetry, particularly the versified letter of Ghalib was a treat. Indeed Seth's references and inspiration should be a clear guide to our crew of English writers on how important it is to imbibe the literary traditions that may not be in a language they are comfortable with. My two-minute meeting with Seth was simply a magic moment. His unselfconscious persona is disarming and simply adds to his aura of brilliance.

KLF also featured Dr Ayesha Jalal, Pakistan's well known historian. Jalal's talk on Manto was a first of its kind and a prelude to her forthcoming book. She spoke at length about Manto's life and also his friendships. Manto's alcoholism in Pakistan and his feeling of being a misfit in the new country were also highlighted. The tragedy of Partition is best encapsulated by Manto, who was hounded in the newly created land of the pure and died within a few years of its creation. Jalal also launched the new Oxford companion to Pakistan's history. Finally, we may be moving towards a more rational, nuanced repositioning of Pakistan’s history. Among others, Jalal's session attracted the recluse Sanam Bhutto who was spotted with her friends amid the melee at the festival. Jalal's eloquence inspired Sanam Bhutto to make a rare public appearance.

William Dalrymple on day one of the festival was another star. His keynote address was well received especially his references to the regional history and how invading Afghanistan had always been a fruitless endeavour. The message though articulated in a different context resonated well with Pakistanis. In a session which I moderated, Dalrymple discussed a book on Deccani gardens entitled: "Scent of Islamic Garden: A Study of Literary Sources in Persian and Urdu" written by Ali Akbar Husain. OUP has reprinted this jewel, which delves into the medieval texts on the fragrant gardens imagined and established by the Hyderabadi nobility in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Dalrymple related how this book helped him to visualize Deccan while writing his famous book" White Mughals". He also read out a moving letter from the book.

To prepare for the festival I managed to read several books. There are two remarkable books, which should be read by all those who are interested in Pakistani culture and its rich traditions. First, Michel Boivin's Artefacts of Devotion; and Jurgen Wasim Frembgen's Nocturnal Music in the land of the Sufis. I had moderated the discussion with the authors last year and it was great to meet them after a year. Wasim's book is delight and I intend to write separately on it.

A rare gem of Urdu fiction, Koshish e Natamam by Shaista Ikramullah was also launched at the festival. Fortunately, Ikramullah’s daughter Naz was also present at the session. This book has been reprinted after half a century. I had read these stories in my school days when I borrowed a tattered book from the library. The short stories written in 1940s are timeless for their articulation of women's issues. The language and diction are strikingly modern.In one of the stories the central character leaves her husband and sends him a notice for “Khula” (divorce). Kishwar Naheed who was present in the audience said that it was easier to file for divorce in the 1940s. The irrepressibly witty Arfa Syeda Zehra who moderated this session, concluded with a strong statement against the growing ‘Saudi imperialism’ in Pakistan, which was a major impediment to the realization of women’s rights.

The last session that I moderated was a tough one. A motley assemblage of foreign journalists and writers were meant to speak on their experiences of writing and portraying Pakistan. Declan Walsh, Anton Lieven, Kishore Bhimani , Alok Bhalla and Stefan Weidner spoke about the challenges and presented their varied perspectives to a very enthusiastic audience. In fact there was insufficient time for questions despite the fact that at least a dozen queries and comments were entertained.

The irony of KLF cannot be described better than Seth's session. While he addressed a hall with two thousand mesmerized participants, a few miles away a coalition of extremist parties were holding a rally calling for eternal jihad against India. While KLF provides a great platform for moderate Pakistanis to congregate, this venue needs to enlarge. KLF is turning into a major marker of Pakistan's vibrant resistance to forces that want to limit freedom and tailor our plural expression. It needs to grow and blossom outside the confines of liberal bubbles. I am sure it will.

Comments (2 comments)

Pls I could not tell frum picshure which is Raza Bhai?

Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 by Hafiz from Lahore

This is the best news to come from Karachi and Pakistan for a long long time. Thank you for a very elegant summary of this landmark event. Am surprised though that the international media, ie NYT, Washington Post, Guardain, TImes or Independent have not commented. As Anatol Lievens says: Failed states do not hold literary festivals. Perhaps the KLF should ' invite' and then 'disinvite' a controversial author next time to get some international attention, ha ha!

Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 by Ghazala from KUWAIT