Karachi Literature Festival Showcases Stories, Ideas, and Voices

The 17th Karachi Literature Festival 2026 made a grand return at the Beach Luxury Hotel from February 6 to 8, delighting book lovers, writers, and cultural enthusiasts alike. As always, the festival was free and open to the public, offering everyone a chance to explore a vibrant world of stories and ideas.

A Celebration of Diversity and Engagement

This year, the festival welcomed over 200 delegates from eight countries and hosted more than 90 sessions. Attendees enjoyed 28 book launches in English, Urdu, and Sindhi, alongside two feature films and two documentaries. New activities such as The Great KLF Debate, a lively Sindhi Mushairo, and an interschool debate boosted youth participation. The Youth Pavilion offered storytelling, theatre, and interactive workshops, ensuring that visitors of all ages could engage with literature creatively. Additionally, the festival atmosphere was enriched with dramatic readings, classical music, theatre, rap, and qawwali, blending performing arts seamlessly with literary celebrations.

Ideas Explored and Voices Heard

The 17th Karachi Literature Festival followed the theme “Literature in a Fragile World,” examining how stories, poetry, and critical thought respond to social, political, and cultural shifts. Organized by Oxford University Press Pakistan, the event featured keynote speakers including Senator Sherry Rehman, Mohammed Hanif, Nasir Abbas Nayyar, and Khurshid Rizvi. Moreover, the 2026 KLF–Getz Pharma Book Prize winners were announced, honoring outstanding works in English fiction, Urdu prose, and poetry.

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Honouring Literary Legacies

The festival also paid tribute to literary and historical icons. A special session marked the 150th anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, including a screening of Jinnah, introduced by filmmaker Jamil Dehlavi. Another panel explored the timeless relevance of Allama Iqbal’s poetry, while a separate session celebrated the 250th birth anniversary of novelist Jane Austen. Distinguished guests such as Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Professor Richard Susskind CBE KC (Hon), Scottish historian Sam Dalrymple, and novelist Laline Paull added a global perspective to the festival’s discussions.

Overall, the Karachi Literature Festival 2026 successfully brought together writers, thinkers, and literature enthusiasts, providing a space to celebrate stories, exchange ideas, and honour cultural legacies. The event reinforced the city’s reputation as a hub for literary innovation and creative expression.

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