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Karachi’s literature aficionados look forward to the winter months when the sun shines a little less harshly and the city plays host to a number of different festivals and events. A cornerstone of the city’s literary scene, the Aalmi Urdu Conference, just announced that it will return for its 18th edition from December 25 to 28.

The event will be hosted at its usual venue, the Arts Council, and will see a variety of writers, poets, scholars and artists grace the stage in discussions, book launches, performances, and cultural dialogues. This year’s theme is the celebration of Karachi’s “enduring role as a centre of literary innovation and artistic excellence”.

Past conferences have been star-studded affairs, with the 17th edition hosting heavyweights such as Anwar Maqsood, Mustansar Hussain Tarar and the late Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra. The entertainment industry was also well represented, with Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan and Tabish Hashmi speaking about their experiences in the city in the Mein Hun Karachi sessions.

If this year’s conference follows in the format of the last, there will also be ample representation for Pakistan’s regional languages. The 2024 event had discussions on literature in Balochi, Pashto, Punjabi, Saraiki and Sindhi. Last year’s festival also featured a soulful qawwali with Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad.

While details of this year’s programme haven’t been announced yet, the festival has been a must-go for anyone with a love for language since it was first organised in 2007. We fully expect this year’s conference to stay true to its 17-year legacy.