The fourth edition of the Lahore Literary Festival will take place on Feb. 20 and 21, 2016, at the Avari.
“This year’s two-day, free and open-to-public event will feature some of the most insightful voices from home and abroad in rewarding, thought-provoking discussions on the literary arts,” said Razi Ahmed, founder and CEO of LLF.
“LLF 2016 will feature panel talks, book launches, recitals and performances,” said Nusrat Jamil, chairperson of the LLF Organizing Committee. “We will have four parallel sessions happening at any given time, spanning fiction, film, music, poetry, history, and more.”
The free, evening performances will include A. R. Gurney’s Love Letters with Rehana Saigol and Imran Aslam. The play has been directed by Hameed Haroon.
“We have a terrific lineup of speakers from Afghanistan and Central Asia in a wide array of talks,” said Ahmed Rashid on behalf of the LLF Advisory Committee. “We are very pleased to announce that the widely regarded archaeologist and travel writer Nancy Dupree will be at LLF to discuss the remarkable restoration of the Kabul Museum and her other notable endeavors in Afghanistan.”
The scheduled speakers at LLF 2016 include, among others, Sharmila Tagore, Asghar Nadeem Syed, C. M. Naim, Hamid Ismailov, Haji Noor Deen, Mohsin Hamid, Ned Beauman, Reza Deghati, Sorayya Khan, Zehra Nigah, and Zukiswa Wanner.
“Lahore has historically been the firmament of big ideas,” said LLF CEO Ahmed. “LLF is all about celebrating the intellectual and creative vitality of this city, its cosmopolitan and syncretic past, its storied cultural contributions, and its place in the global literary world today.”
“We are very excited about the fourth edition of the festival, and are confident that it will make for an even more rewarding audience experience,” said Jamil.
“The LLF’s interdisciplinary program will bring together fresh angles and insights covering the arts and humanities, politics and current affairs, social sciences, and more,” said Rashid.
LLF is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under the laws of Pakistan. Its Board of Governors includes Iqbal Z. Ahmed, Hameed Haroon, Dr. Parvez Hassan, and Nayyar Ali Dada. The Advisory Committee for LLF 2016 includes Muneeza Shamsie, Zareena Saeed, Salima Hashmi, Khaled Ahmed, and Mohsin Hamid.
