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Pakistan's literary scene is buzzing with activity

Faisalabad Literary Festival is an endorsement of the addition of a new dimension to an already very vibrant city.

In the most unlikeliest of places, you find splendour that reiterates the human desire to add meaning to life in ways that enrich the mind and soul. There is nothing more glorious than the manifestation of the best of your innermost self, that part that displays itself in the form of art, poetical work, prose, intellectual input, oration. Each stands unique in its power to evoke, stimulate and move, and collectively, the effect is long-lasting, far-reaching. And in its own limited but delightful capacity, a literary festival becomes the showcase of that power. The power of the written word in its myriad glories.

The invitation by the organisers, two of whom happened to be college friends, to be a moderator at the second literary festival in Faisalabad, on November 12-13th, was my chance to be the part of that one endeavour that I, in my infinite and almost childlike love for books, label my wonderland. Literary festivals make me all smiley and happy.what better way to spend a lovely autumn weekend than in the company of people who turn simple words into works of beauty, evoking in their readers a plethora of responses ranging from the absurd to the sublime. Still in its infancy, the Faisalabad Literary Festival (FLF) is a dynamic glimpse into the intellectual sensibilities of the inhabitants of a city known more for its textile industry than its affinity to literature. The FLF shatters the stereotype of how money and literature don't mix. Yes, they do.four-carat solitaires, Chanel Maxi, Hermes, Rolex, BMW and palatial houses in a merry blend with stories, poems, and drama to form a delightful pot pourri of that little-talked-about side of Pakistan.

In the words of Musadaq Zulqarnain, CEO Interloop, an international textile giant and the principal sponsor, the FLF is an endorsement of the addition of a new dimension to an already very vibrant city. It is a reiteration of the abiding love Faisalabad has for the different genres of literature. The brainchild of a Faisalabad native, Sarah Hayat, co-planned-executed by her group of dynamic women-- Sheeba Alam, Tosheeba Sarwar, Nazia Navid and their 20-plus team -- and hosted by the renowned writer/director Asghar Nadeem Syed, the FLF is a remarkable manifestation of the breaking of stereotypes and the amalgamation of ideas to present some of the best of Pakistan on one platform. Literature is eternal, artfully, playfully, beautifully adding layers to human comprehension, delving into the inner recesses of heart, mind and soul with a profundity that imbues the mundane with a multilayered complexity and uniqueness.

It was my second-ever trip to a city I had no real idea about, and in merely two days, I returned with an experience of gracious hospitality, an eagerness to go beyond the roles prescribed by familial and societal expectations, an earnest appreciation of the written word, and a desire to discuss and debate, and to enhance the existence beyond the material tags. From the sophisticated Serena Hotel to the elegant Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Auditorium, Faisalabad spoke to me of the dynamism of the self-contained town it once was: Lyallpur. As the Ghanta Ghar stands in its timelessness, beyond the apparent limitations of a noisy city lies the inherent dignity of a place that remains rooted to its simple values and quiet virtues. The FLF strengthens that.

Listening to writers and poets like Intezar Hussain, Zehra Nigah, Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Kishwar Naheed, Arfa Syeda Zahra, Afzal Ahsan Randhawa, Atta-ul-Haq Qasimi, I marvelled at the unquantifiable beauty of the language called Urdu. The complexities of heart become odes to love when penned and recited in the words of a poet like Nigah. Everyone including Javed Jabbar, Navid Shahzad, Usman Peerzada, Kamal Haider Rizvi, talked about the importance of literature, art and theatre in an ever-growing environment of censorship, regression and intolerance.

When Faiz Ahmed Faiz's daughter, Muneeza Hashmi and her son, Adeel Hashmi, in conversation with Arfa Syeda, reminisced about the poet who is loved beyond borders, ideologies and nationalities, I was once again reminded of the relevance and stature of Faiz's poetry.

The inimitably irreverent, the rebel Saadat Hassan Manto was gloriously remembered through excerpts from his letters read by Taimur Rehman. Manto like Faiz lives on.magnificent, irreplaceable.

Khursheed Kasuri, in an interesting discussion with the renowned journalist, Khalid Ahmed, discussed the thorny Pakistan-India relationship, a subject that is of great significance to the geopolitical realities of the region, as Kasuri's book Neither a Hawk nor a Dove highlights.

The fabulous Navid Shahzad, who I had the privilege of talking to, was a delight to listen to as she looked at the journey of English novel in Pakistan.

There was an in-depth discussion on theatre by Usman Peerzada, Navid Shahzad and the iconic Kamal Haider Rizvi, names that made classical and contemporary drama popular in Pakistan over the years.

The huge response to Sahira and Rahat Kazmi, the two icons of Pakistan television, was a reiteration of how quality work never loses its relevance and popularity.

Whenever I write on an important subject, one constant refrain by readers on Twitter is that I should also write in Urdu in order to reach a larger audience. The FLF made me realise the redundancy of that idea. The so-called "liberal" ideas that are attributed to the English-speaking intelligentsia have been endorsed and promoted by many writers, poets and thinkers of the Urdu and Punjabi language. And they augmented the brave genre of writing that looks at the world with all its flaws and imperfections while celebrating the best of it.

Limited space, a frowning editor.I better stop. The FLF, a celebration of the written word, my eternal love, thank you for your existence. Until next year.
Mehr Tarar is a columnist based in Lahore