"The Adab Festival Pakistan has now been registered as a society under the Societies Act, XXI of 1860 and would be held from Feb 1 to 3, 2019 at the Sindh Governor House." This was stated by Ameena Saiyid, Founder and Director Adab Festival Pakistan, at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday.
Ameena briefed that "Adab Fest" would truly showcase Pakistani writers as highlighting all languages through the issues being faced through sessions on teaching of Pakistani curricula. She said the festival would also build strong linkages with academia like LUMS, Habib University, IOBM etc.
She said Adab Fest's programme has been designed to encourage youth to read books and promote book culture. She added that over a hundred Pakistani and international authors, intellectuals, and media personalities will be participating in the Adab Festival Pakistan.
"At the Adab Festival the audience will experience literature in different Pakistani languages, book launches, talks, interviews, discussions, mushairah / poetry sessions, book fair, music, dance, theatre, comedy/satire, and film," she added.
Getz Pharma will be the lead sponsor of Adab Fest. CEO Getz Pharma Khalid Mehmood said, "Literature and heritage is the soul of any nation. Ameena and Asif have done a great service to this nation by founding these literary festivals. As one of our main CSR areas, we encourage these events because they go a long way in building a more tolerant, well informed and educated country."
Shortlisted candidates for "Getz Pharma Fiction Prize" were also announced at the press conference. The candidates included - A K Asif (Hell ! No Saints in Paradise), Bina Shah (Before she sleeps), Kamila Shamsie (Home Fire), Mohammad Hanif (Red Birds), Osama Siddiqui (Snuffing out the Moon), Sheheryar Sheikh (The still point for the turning world), SabynJaveri (Nobody Killed Her), Zarrar Said (Pureland).
The organizers of Adab Fest are no longer using the name "Pakistan Literature Festival" because of certain legal proceedings against the organizers, temporarily restraining them from using this name for such a festival. Adab Fest organizers are rigorously contesting such legal proceedings but since there is no legal restraint against them holding literature festivals, they have decided to give it the title of Adab Festival Pakistan. The keynote speakers at the Adab Fest includes Dr Ishrat Husain, Arfa Zehra, Peter Oborne and Haseena Moeen. Over 100 speakers have so far confirmed their participation at the Adab Fest including Mustansar Husain Tarrar, Iftikhar Arif, KishwarNaheed, Mohammad Hanif, Zia Mohyeddin, Zehra Nigah, Anwer Maqsood, H M Naqvi, Harris Khalique, Fawzia Afzal-Khan, Baela Raza Jamil, Kamran Asdar Ali, Tariq Khosa, Javed Jabbar, Attiya Dawood, Hameed Haroon, Salim Raza, Nadeem Husain, Richard Heller, Ian Vaughan-Arbuckle, Nafisa Shah, Nasim Zehra, Omar Shahid Hamid, Yaqoob Bangash, NimraBucha, Veerta Ali Ujan, Zarrar Khuhro.