Late legendary writer Intizar Hussain missed at Karachi Literature Festival

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 7 February 2016

The Karachi Literature Festival featured tributes to the late Intizar Hussain, who passed away shortly before the event. Discussions highlighted his contributions to Urdu literature and the literary void his passing has created.

Summary

KARACHI: The three-day Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) featuring writers, poets, showbiz figures and journalists concluded Sunday.

According to the organizers, prominent authors and speakers paid glowing tributes to distinguished writer Intizar Hussain. They said that Hussain not only contributed richly to Urdu literature but was one of the keynote speakers at this festival for past many years. Hussain, 92, passed away in Lahore on February 2. His personality and works were discussed at various sessions during the festival. He was remembered for his versatile writing and contribution to literature.

Speaking at the concluding session, Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan, and Founder/Director, KLF said: “The death of our distinguished Urdu writer Intizar Hussain three days before the opening of KLF not only deprived us of one of our finest speakers but also left behind a void in our literary culture and sadness in our hearts.

“I hope that, in time, more Intizar Hussains and more gifted authors will emerge from among our young writers.”

It was pointed out that the impact of the three days of discussions and discourse was touching and astonishing. Responses slowly became spontaneous and silence and conformity were replaced by curiosity and searching questions.

The discerning Pakistani voice was being heard in the halls of KLF which provided moments of self-recognition for Pakistan.

Ms Saiyid mentioned that Karachi, one of the biggest cities of the world, is a city of diversity where citizens are people originating from every part of the subcontinent and beyond.

The many flavors of that diversity are what gives Karachi a special richness and makes it an apt location for the diversified nature of this celebration of books and writers. “At Oxford University Press and KLF, we have been trying consistently to encourage young writers as this year we increased the number of annual awards for writing. KLF 2016 saw the launch of our fourth award – the KLF Urdu Fiction/Non-fiction Prize. We also announced the Italy Reads Pakistan award,” she said.

This year foreign and local authors also visited KLF from Italy, France, UK, US, India and distant parts of Pakistan to enrich and inspire audience of Karachi.

UBL Literary Excellence Awards were given to Asghar Nadeem Syed, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Anwaar Ahmad, Kishwar Naheed, Ghazi Salahuddin, Asif Farrukhi, Framji Minwalla and Wajahat Husain. – APP