The sixth Karachi Literature Festival-2015 under the banner of the Oxford University Press kicked off at the Beach Luxury Hotel on Friday. Welcoming the guests at the inauguration ceremony, Oxford University Press Managing Director Ameena Saiyid obe, said that events like KLF were part of democracy which assist stimulating dialogue and the exchange of ideas which promote understanding, harmony and inclusiveness.
"The word "festival" is the operative word. This is not a seminar or conference or convention," she insisted. She further said that despite the notion that reading habit was declining around 70,000 people attended KLF last year with books being sold like "hot cakes".
Speaking on the occasion, founder of the Karachi and Islamabad literature Festivals, Asif Farrukhi said that these six years have raised six questions in the minds of the participants attending KLF. "We need to answer these questions and save literature".
He pressed that countless books have been discussed over these six years since the festival came into being. Renowned journalist and member of the I am Karachi Consortium, Ghazi Salahuddin addressed the participants urging the members of the civil society to play their role in bringing peace to the city. "Karachi is a city of its kind-a city that lacks love," he stated.
Italian Ambassador to Pakistan H E Adriano Chiodi Cianfarani stressed that events such as the KLF worked in bridging the cultural gap between nations. "KLF provides a platform to open constructive debate for people". The speeches were followed by keynote addresses by Nayantara Sahgal and Zehra Nigah. The speeches were followed by awards of the KLF-Embassy of France best fiction and KLF- Coca-Cola best non-fiction books. The award for best non-fiction was given to M Naeem Qureshi for his book Ottoman Turkey, Ataturk and Muslim South Asia: Perspectives, Perceptions and Responses while the award for best fiction was given to Shandana Minhas. German Ambassador Dr Cyrill Nunn, US Counsel General Brian Heath were also present on the occasion. The Karachi Literature Festival will continue for the next two days.-PR