What's happening on Day 1 of the Lahore Literary Festival
Follow our live updates on to know who showed up, who ate what, and what we were most inspired by
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What's happening on Day 2 of the Lahore Literary Festival
Are you ready to see what's happening on the final day of the Lahore Literary Festival?
While Day 1 of the festival had an exciting line-up with sessions featuring Iranian-American writer Reza Aslan and British actor/rapper Riz Ahmed, Day 2 looks a bit mellow in comparison.
However, there are some interesting sessions which we're looking forward to like the one on Asma Jahangir and on Pakistan's protest artists, among a few more.
Check out what happened as we take you through the LLF.
5.30pm: Reza Aslan isn't mincing words as he talks in his session 'Beyond Extremism'
The Iranian-American author has a few thing to say about Islam... and Trump.
The author talks to a fullhouse as everyone listens to him attentively.
Reza quotes the bible: faith without works is dead.
"We spend so much time debating our faith and identity. Why are we wasting so much time on this? We should be doing the work of faith instead, putting good out into your community, fighting for those who can't fight for themselves. Stop fighting over how you define yourself, and just put your definition into action."
5.20pm: Book launch on Shobhaa De's Seventy... And to Hell With It has us intrigued!
Shobhaa is unapologetic as she begins, "We have expectations of women a certain age. But I will wear what I want, do what I want."
"I don't care about what people say about me. I think people people should care what I say about them."
She then speaks about female friendships.
"Bollywood is incredibly corporatised now," adds the writer.
Speaking on feminism, Shobhaa says, "Feminism was in many ways a product of a certain inequality of job opportunities and they fought for it and they got it. In the subcontinent our cultural reference points are totally different, so to try and adopt that, to fall for that activism which doesn't go beyond hashtags is meaningless."
"We all are feminists because all it means to me is equality. It doesn't mean anti-men. The whole establishment is extremely lopsided and certainly does not favour women coming up in a way that their potential would have them and that's something I would speak up for."
While we wait for the next sessions to begin, here's what people are tweeting about the #LLF2018
How'd the moderators fare so far? Our Editor Hamna Zubair weighs in.
Here's another critique of the LLF.
Seems like Hina Rabbani Khar was quite a hit among audiences this year.
Surprisingly, LLF has attracted a crowd, even after being embroiled in controversy last month.
4.30pm: 'Spotlight, Lahore' session cancelled due to low attendance.... psst that's what we heard
4.00pm: Audrey Truschke gets candid about her latest book on Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 'Time Present, Time Past' session
"I want to educate people about how to evaluate historical arguments for yourself," says the novelist.
Audrey talks about how the Hindu right has opposed her book and inadvertently made her famous.
"In 2016 I gave an interview to (Indian publication) The Hindu and I said things in the interview about Akbar that were controversial. No one noticed. But I said a few sentences about Aurangzeb saying he is a misunderstood ruler. And people exploded. So I thought why not dig deeper and write this book."
"The demonisation of Aurangzeb was really started by the British, as a means of justifying colonialism. To validate their regime they had to say the previous ruler was really, really bad."
3.52pm: Anis Ashfaq, Masood Asher and Nasir Abbas Nayyar take the stage for session 'Khaab Saraab Lucknow ki Tareekh'
"The old buildings and civilisation are being replaced by plazas which is very painful," says Anis.
"Many people who are foreigners or not related to Lucknow are writing on it and selling... we call it as Lucknow faroshi. Even trash written in English sells while Urdu is rejected."
"A novel should not only have philosophy and intellectualism. I consider that a big flaw... it should be a story and narration," he adds.
All the cities of the world have changed including lucknow and Lahore... fictionalising the process is great," Masood adds to the discussion. "Kathak, dance, most raags are products of Lucknow."
3.45pm: We caught up with Hina Rabbani Khar post her session to ask her about the festival.
Of course, we weren't the only ones who had questions to ask of the former Foreign Minister of Pakistan. She was hounded by reporters as soon as she stepped foot outside.
3.40pm: We're hitting the book stalls next!
A sea of 'very short introductions'.
2.44pm: Attiya Dawood gives a brief background of Sindhi adab in session 'Wadiye Mehran ke Adab ka Husn'
"Sindhi poetry has themes related to land," says Attiya Dawood. "Sindhi adab was not that good right after Partition but it changed during Ayub' regime... the best literature started being written in that era."
She continues, "After the 70s Sindhi literature included bold topics like lesbianism... one such writer is Zareena Baloch."
"Like any society Sindh has had its problems like peer worship and feudalism," adds Amar Sindhu.
"When the communist party and progressive writers were banned in Pakistan, Sindhi writers continued their activities under Sindhi adabi sangat."
Praising his fellow panelist, Amar says, "Attiya was the first woman poet who was termed feminist."
Attiya corrects him, "I was the first who owned feminism but I wasn't the first feminist poet. All the female poets who had written before me were feminists. I was targeted for being a feminist by both men and women writers and I suffered from depression."
Speaking on the interest of reading among Sindhis, Amar says, "Sindhis read a lot. At least one book is published each day though the quality can be questioned."
2.35pm: Book launch: Love and its Seasons starts with Framji reading an excerpt from the book
Framji Minwalla holds up the book for the audience to see before reading. "His words are so evocative that I could visualise everything," he says once he's done.
"Much of his work is about love... unrequited love, lovers who pine away. It's a kind of exquisite pain. It comes from having studied Urdu and Persian poetry for a long time."
"Rumi is not the biggest influence but he has been there for a long time. Love sometimes becomes a metaphor for everything that is lacking."
2.30pm: 'Outside the American Prism' session begins with talk of Trump
The LLF has reminded us how our literatures are inextricably related and so is our politics: Lyse says.
"I think what we're seeing now isn't just misogyny and the trumping disorder but Trump is the first president designed to reshape American image abroad," Mark Leonard.
"In the Mideast and North Africa there's a re-calibrating of US power," he adds.
"The most important question is China's role... monumental project through which China can deal with other countries of the world without American support. Pakistan is the front-runner in the new world order."
Lyse jumps in, "Pakistan's been juggling alliances throughout history between allies and enemies."
"Pakistan has been playing [in the last three years] the act of managing status quo or revisionist force. Managing relations with supreme power because of regional presence," adds Hina Rabbani. "What makes supreme power so in today's new world order is credibility for one and predictability."
"Third is are they holding universal values. America is the single most country breaking new world order while claiming to be possessing all factors making one a super power," she says.
Zahid Hussain says, "It's not exactly clear what Americans want in Afghanistan. There has been an increase in attacks, night raids etc. Will this military solution provide long term stability in Afghanistan? That's a big question."
"I've seen different phases of war in Afghanistan. This time there's much more uncertainty. Pakistan doesn't seem to have a strategy. But Americans never tried to bring Pakistan and Afghanistan together. Should have used that opportunity."
He asks, "The big question is, will the Americans ever be able to achieve anything?"
Christoper de Bellaigue apologised for missing his session earlier today and is now part of this panel discussion.
"Iran always had its eyes towards the west as a permanent enemy. For Iran this hostility was useful as long as kept at a certain threshold. The Obama administration was very problematic for Iranians. Obama was rolling back from idea of regime change. He had said in an interview that the Iranians and Saudis will have to divide power," said Chris.
Lyse Doucet asks the audience at #LLF2018: Who is optimistic about our future?
Barely anyone raises their hand.
However, Hina Rabbani manages to gauge the audience with her answers. The audience is full of applause for her statements.
2.08pm: Oh look who we've run into, Indian writer Shobhaa De at the LLF
And she's got nothing but praise for the festival. It's the third one she's attending and the writer says she truly enjoys it.
1.30pm: Comfort food time!
Boy, all that food talk was making us salivate. We're hitting the food stalls for some comfort food!
We've got biryani...
Some laddoo peethi...
Broccoli pakoras? Hmm, a healthy guilty pleasure...? Either way, they're delicious!
And we've got some papri chaat and cholay bathooray
12.45pm: Screening and discussion session on 'Treasures of the Indus' facing some technical issues
Hugh Thompson: BBC suggested filming it in Pakistan... [it was the] first public screening here too. The film centered in Lahore.
Looks like hall 6 is dealing with some technical problems as the film stopped midway, and there seems to be too much sunlight pouring in. Viewing is also a bit of an issue as some of the seats have been arranged in front of the pillars.
12.34pm: Session 'Parveen Shakir and the Marsh Marigold' begins with a tribute
Mujahid Barelvi reads out memories of Parveen Shakir and her early life.
Amjad Islam Amjad says, "Women poets are appreciated late all over world. Even in Europe women poets had to use pseudonyms. Parveen never left learning as a student despite popularity at an early age."
"They say Parveen's popularity was partly due to the times she lived in. There was only one TV channel and she had a chance to host a programme on it. Her ghazals were sung by Mehdi Hasan and Noor Jehan besides early death," Rakhshanda Naveed.
Aitzaz Ahsan adds, "Parveen's themes included the repressed Pakistan woman struggling in a patriarchal society."
12.30pm: Sumayya Usmani and Momina Aijazuddin take the stage for session 'Tantalizing the Tooth: Exploring gastronomic feats
"My entire childhood is laced with food. Guava, mangoes or chapatis cooking in tawa are all part of childhood. The nostalgic links are through food, " says chef Sumayya.
"Abroad you have a different view of Lahore and when you come here with people smiling and eating all day. If they had more hours in the day they'd eat. Through food we can present the positive impression of Pakistan. It has so much strength."
"I started with a food blog with not just recipes. Hated writing recipes so I added a story or memory associated with the recipe," she adds.
"I started writing about and cooking Pakistani food because I wanted my daughter to experience those aromas, of the spice hitting the oil, the masala; I wanted to create a connection for her and what better than food to do that."
Okay. This session is definitely making us hungry!!
Adds the chef, "Everyone has a haath ka maza. It's a belief, inherent ability to create food that helps mixing right ingredients and quantities."
Speaking on authentic food, she says, "Authenticity is a subjective term; it could mean your authentic version of something. So there's nothing really as authentic food."
12.13pm: I A Rehman receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Asma Jahangir's children accept the Lifetime Achievement Award on her behalf.
11.27am: Book Launch: 'The Islamic Enlightenment: The Modern Struggle Between Faith and Reason' kicks off with the national anthem
Robert Worth and Ghaith Abdul Ahad are speaking in the session.
"For any outsider to enter a country and attempt to change its system is going to have terrible instability," says Robert in context of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
"Let's call a spade a spade. An outside world coming in is colonialism," Sinan Antoon speaks from the audience.
Robert speaking on the sectarian issue in Syria.
"It was like a bazaar of Islamic nations Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. congregating on Syrian borders creating an Islamic state," he says.
Ghaith adds, "What went wrong in last 300 years of creating modern Islamic state that resulted in the Islamic state? What was the sin committed by us or anyone in the last 300 years that resulted in this barbarism?"
"IS tells you that we were the best people who came here. The best thing that happened to the Islamic world. Then there is discrepancy in what was and what is. So I wont say it's a modern movement."
11.08am - Crowds trickle to Hall 1 for a session on Asma Jahangir
And it kicks off with a slideshow.
BBC's Lyse Doucet starts by introducing the session: The LLF is about the power of words and this morning we have two words Asma Jahangir.
I A Rehman adds, "Asma stood at the doorway and said let us set up a human rights commission and I didn't look up saying 'Okay let's', but she never let me get over that. Kept pulling my leg on it. She did a lot of constructive work. In 1994, bonded labour was abolished because of her through Supreme Court. She prepared the draft for Bonded Labour Abolition Act. She contributed to the Juvenile Justice Ordinance."
"When Musharraf took over and exploited all progressives, he invited Asma for a convention on human rights. We were told we couldn't talk and we were there to listen but Asma replied, 'No, we have better people to listen to."
"The Pakistani government set an example by complaining about her to the UN. Countries honour their special rapporteur, and here our government was doing this."
Lyse reveals, "I remember how Asma would pull me away from the crowd to tell me what was actually happening in Pakistan... whenever we were at any occasion.
Ahmed Rashid adds, "[There is] no other human in Pakistan's history who took up so many cases. If she thought your cause was legitimate she would wield it in her list of causes."
"We would discuss the political situation and I was stunned that she had so much knowledge and insights. She was often leaked info by establishment because she had admirers even there. She would go on missions as rapporteur and we would find out information from those places. Half of the threats she received she never told her family. And she just lived with them."
Munizae Jahangir, the activist's daughter, says, "I'm a kathak dancer who performed on this very stage and dancing was banned in those days. She opened up a whole world for me. She was a very sensitive mother; noticed our capabilities and interests and built and maintained relationships with people who could guide us. She introduced me to (dancer) Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak. She always said that dreams are to be enjoyed also it's not necessary they are realised."
Munizae gets teary as she remembers how her mother waited outside her boarding school to see when she switched off the light and went to sleep.
11.06am - Hall 6 session 'Ideal City: Landscapes and Cultures of Karachi and Lahore' gets cancelled
Apparently it got cancelled to give more prominence to the session on Asma Jahangir.
11.00am - People are hitting the Liberty Books stall ahead of the first sessions
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