Lahore Literary Festival continues with diverse themes
Entertainment
Book stalls attracted eager readers, reinforcing LLF’s role in fostering literary engagement
LAHORE (Web Desk) - Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) 2025 continued on second day on Saturday, with a remarkable confluence of intellect, storytelling, and artistic expression.
The day commenced with Peter Frankopan’s captivating session on New Silk Roads: Is Power Shifting Eastwards?
In conversation with Hasan Karar, the esteemed historian unraveled the intricate networks of trade, power, and cultural exchanges that have defined civilisations across centuries.
Further enriching historical discourse, Spanish historian Eduardo Manzano Moreno delivered an insightful talk on The Court of the Caliphate of Al-Andalus, shedding light on Islamic Spain’s golden era and its enduring intellectual and artistic legacy.
One of the most engaging sessions of the day, The City as a Character, featured David Wagner, Sofka Zinovieff, Mohsin Hamid, and Osama Siddique, who reflected on how cities influence literature and shape narratives.
Their discussion on Berlin, Athens, and Lahore provided fascinating insights into how urban spaces become living characters in storytelling.
A profoundly moving session, Perceptions of Palestine, featured filmmaker Azza El-Hassan and Hira Wasti Ahmed. It explored how colonial violence reshapes visual identity and cultural memory.
Punjabi literature took centre stage as Fauzia Ishaq, Saleem Sohail, Anwar Zahid, Zahid Hassan, and Rai Muhammad Khan Nasir engaged in a thought-provoking discussion on the evolution, depth, and contemporary relevance of Punjabi literary traditions.
An impassioned conversation on Women in Literature featured Noor-ul-Huda Shah, Fatima Hassan, Neelam Ahmad Bashir, Yasmeen Hameed, Sophia Bedar, and Sughra Sadaf, who reflected on the portrayal of women in Urdu literature and their critical role in shaping modern narratives.
LLF 2025 continued to honour Urdu fiction and poetry with insightful discussions on new Urdu short stories, Mustafa Zaidi’s collected works, and identity in Urdu literature.
Mumtaz Mustafa’s session, Interpreting Food, offered a delightful exploration of Pakistani street food, Spanish tapas, and global culinary traditions. It emphasized the connection between food and cultural identity.
As the day drew to a close, the soulful performance by Ustad Shafqat Salamat Ali Khan captivated the audience, reaffirming the timeless power of classical music.
Meanwhile, the screening of Shaheen Dill Riaz’s award-winning documentary Ironeaters provided a poignant cinematic experience reflecting labor, resilience, and survival.
The Allah Bakhsh Art Gallery remained a center of artistic exploration, with visitors admiring the creative brilliance of contemporary artists. Simultaneously, book stalls continued to attract eager readers, further reinforcing LLF’s role in fostering literary engagement.
