It was the early evening on Sunday (Feb 12) I was sitting at a roadside teashop with two friends, in front of the Beach Luxury Hotel.
As cool, ocean breeze flew we sipped hot tea and talked about the art of filmmaking and South Park (TV show) how it predicted Trump winning the presidency and American public’s reaction to it.
The conversation shifted from politics to the art of filmmaking and Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, then one of us prompted that the concluding ceremony of the 8th Karachi Literature Festival was about to begin, and we rushed back to the main garden of the hotel.
The tent that housed the main stage was brimming with people. We first sat on the grass as we couldn’t find any seats but then miraculously three people stood up and left their chairs. The three of us lunged at the empty chairs, as there were a lot of people sitting and standing around ready to grab the chairs.
There were still a few minutes before the dance performance by lovely Suhaee Abro would begin. We wanted to have a clear view but every now and then someone would jump in front of us blocking our view. The struggle to have a clear view and keeping our chairs continued till we walked out of the place.
As we drove back home none of us complained about it, not even once. In fact, we were talking about other cultural festivals that have sprung up in the last few months. And the space they provide to not just have good time but also a place where one feels comfortable speaking his or her mind and even allowed to call out misogynists and bigots.
I figure like me my friends also had great time and the struggle for chairs and clear view was part of the fun (even if it didn’t seem so at that time).
The Karachi Literature Festival is taking place for last eight years.
As someone who has been attending it since its inception I can say the KLF has come a long way from a small literary activity. It has arguably become the most vibrant cultural event of Pakistan’s biggest city.
The first time I attended the KLF I went there with my sister. We jostled in jam packed Carlton Hotel, holding the booklet close to our faces, looking at the schedule, and rushing from one hall to another to listen to different discussions, and catch a glimpse or have a brief chat with our favorite journalists and authors.
After eight years I can safely say that I got the hang of the event. Now I can navigate through the long line up of sessions usually without missing out on the most interesting ones. I know that the best time to arrive is either before 10AM or after 3PM to get a relatively easy parking or else park my car further east on the Lalazar Drive; I know to get away from the crowd and for an easy cup of tea I can walk just across the hotel; and I know which ones of my friends will surely attend and which ones might stop by briefly. I know that the acoustics of the main garden are tricky so for an important session I need to stay close to the stage. I know that the acoustics in Room 007 are such that if you sit at the end of the room the sound will drown in the voices of the chatty audience.
Here are my five reasons why the KLF has become my most favorite event in town. And why I never miss it if I am in town:
- It offers a space where women can enjoy being at a public place without having to worry about being harassed or getting their belongings snatched. It is the only place where I have seen so many women wearing bright red lipstick. I haven’t noticed it at any other place may be because the bold look of crimson red attracts lots of and some times unwanted attention.
- Plurality, one can argue that the KLF is meant for a certain group(s) of people: educated, affluent and opinionated. But I disagree. I believe the KLF offers something for everyone; be it variety of speakers, languages and subject matter. From Karachi’s local problems like urban planning to national issues like Pakistani film industry to international issues like Indo-Pak relations and our foreign policy, to live music.
- It is a place that offers a direct contact with celebrities, authors and opinion leaders, like Mohammed Hanif, Arif Hasan, Mushtaq Ahmad Yusufi and Shabnam, we follow as readers and viewers on daily basis but rarely get an opportunity to talk to them or see them from up close.
- It also offers a great place to meet new and old friends, colleagues, teachers and even relatives that we don’t get to see because of our busy daily routines.
- Lastly and most importantly, for three days the KLF becomes a place that could be described as a glimpse of what Karachi would be like minus the intolerance and its violent manifestations that surrounds us for rest of the year. It fosters the environment where we are free to express ourselves and live along with each other without fearing to be persecuted for our convictions and identity.
Twitter: @alikhina
Hali Writes 