LLF ends with positive messageto world about Pakistani talent

LAHORE :The 8th Annual Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) concluded amid great excitement at the Lahore Arts Council Alhamra, The Mall on Sunday evening with over 100 domestic and foreign intellectuals participating in 63 sessions held on various the topics of art, culture, literature, politics and social issues.

The third and final day of the Lahore Literary Festival featured various book lunching ceremonies like "The Anarchy, post-Mughal politics", "Islamic Empires". In the session titled "How to Make Students Read More" Amna Khalid, Meher Jabeen Agha, Meher Zaidi Rehman, and Nadia Praveen expressed their views.

"Spotlighting New writing", "Art in public space", "Digital Trumps media", "and eyewitness brokering peace in Afghanistan", and much more were the part of the third day activities of Lahore Literary Festival. Of over 60, highly informative and thought-provoking session during this three-day long highly-acclaimed literary event in Pakistan, four of the last Day's sessions which included 'Punjab: A Syncretic Lan, about Art and Portraiture from the Sikh Court of Lahore to the opening of Kartarpur Peace Corridor, FS Aijazuddin with world Renowned Writer & Researcher William Dalrymple, gave an astonishing overview of Punjab through the centuries in the jam-packed Hall No-1 , especially during the Sikh Period with the support of unique and rare paintings of different areas while encompassing many highly significant religion-historic & socio- Political events, the personalities of the times of Punjab under the reign of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.

It was a truly eye-opening and highly informative session for the audience about the land of Punjab. Aijazuddin spoke about Guru Nanak, his significance in our history of Punjab, the prominent personalities of that time, including Faqeer Brothers, Gulab Singh, Dalip Singh, Kharak Singh, Guru Goband Ji, Amrita Preetam, Gen Allarad and many others.

In another session titled "The Meditative Dot" on the works of the highly-praised Pakistani artist/Print-maker Waqas Khan, a Graduate of NCA, with Jonathan Jones, Art Commentator of The Guardian, UK, in a frank but art-oriented conversation about Waqas Khan's work, moderated by Rabiya Jalil, Jonathan paid great tributes to the work of Waqas, which to him, was one of the most exciting work in the world of art on the planet. According to Jones, he felt the same thrill & excitement after seeing Waqas's work in various art galleries in foreign countries, including his exhibition titled "History, Memory, or Geometry, as he would feel when he would see the works of the great artists of this world. About his works, Waqas Khan commented that he started from scratch and it all started without planning. "I have just tried to create a dialogue through my art to connect with the world", he remarked.

In another session, held at the Alhamra Adabi Baithak which was temporarily turned into Hall No-4, a very significant and enlightening session was held, titled Mental Health, Integration with South Asian Culture, moderated by Fatima Mohsin Naqvi and the speakers included Jasmyn R Khawaja, Daheem Deen and Maryam Suhail.

In the session, the speakers took upon the most igniting & crucial topics of sex education & Taboos, various psychological problems stemming from the absence of relevant counselling & much needed discussions with the youngsters about the sensitive issues related to sex & other socio-intellectual problems.

In another session that was dedicated to Waris Shah, a Punjabi drama was staged in the Hall No.2 of Alhamra Arts Council, which was directed by renowned Punjab Activist & Director Huma Safdar.

In short, like yester years, this year also, The Lahore Literary Festival (LLF), proved to be, not only the biggest event of the city's literary calendar, and the most awaited annual event on the literary horizon of the country, but also a very prominent platform for the intellectuals, the youth, the educated men & women and the general public as well. this great show of Pakistani talent also sent a very reassuring & positive message to the world too about the creative & intellectual abilities and potential of the Pakistani people, especially the Pakistani intellectuals, writers, artists, and the brilliant youth of Pakistan.