Panels on literature as resistance and child marriage in Pakistan held at Lahore’s ThinkFest
Author Mohammed Hanif spoke on journalism and writing fiction while international academics discussed marriage legislation.
The Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) returns for its 17th edition from February 6 to 8 at the Beach Luxury Hotel. As always, the event is free and open to the public.
Organised by Oxford University Press Pakistan, this year’s festival will explore the theme “Literature in a Fragile World”, examining how stories, poetry, and critical thought respond to social, political, and cultural uncertainty and change.
“In an increasingly fractured world, literature remains one of the last spaces where dogmas can be questioned, and humanity can speak to itself without fear,” said OUP Pakistan Managing Director Arshad Saeed Husain, reflecting on the festival’s purpose.
This year, the festival will host over 200 delegates from eight countries, featuring more than 90 sessions, 28 book launches in three languages, two documentaries, and two feature films.
Keynote speakers include Senator Sherry Rehman, Mohammed Hanif, Nasir Abbas Nayyar, and Khurshid Rizvi, alongside a distinguished lineup of writers, poets, critics, and thinkers from Pakistan and abroad.
The 17th edition of the festival will bring together a diverse group of of writers, thinkers, and literature enthusiasts, including celebrated director Sharmeen Obaid‑Chinoy, Professor Richard Susskind CBE KC (Hon), one of the world’s leading thinkers on law and the impact of artificial intelligence, Scottish historian and filmmaker Sam Dalrymple, and novelist Laline Paull.
New features this year include The Great KLF Debate, Sindhi Mushairo, and an interschool debate reinforcing the festival’s commitment to youth engagement, linguistic diversity, and civic dialogue. The programme also includes dramatic renditions, classical music performances, theatre, rap, and qawwali, woven seamlessly into literary discourse.
The festival features a special session celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, including the screening of Jinnah introduced by filmmaker Jamil Dehlavi, as well as a panel exploring Allama Iqbal’s thought, poetry, and continuing relevance. A session celebrating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth is also a part of the programme.
A Youth Pavilion will offer storytelling, theatre, and hands-on workshops for younger visitors.
The festival will also announce the winners of the 2026 KLF–Getz Pharma Book Prizes, recognising outstanding works in English fiction, Urdu prose, and poetry.