Mardan
Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, (AWKUM) is all set to celebrate the first-ever literary festival from Tuesday. This is a two-day festival and would end on Wednesday, October 23.
First of its kind in Mardan and surrounding areas, the Mardan LitFest would have a range of activities including the panel discussion, talks, book launching ceremonies, poetry recital and musical performances. The Festival mostly focuses on the public intellectuals, poets, writers and speakers from Mardan and other parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would highlight their intellectual and poetic works also.
The activity would also have stalls offering glimpses into the local culture, history and the role that Mardan played in the local civilization.
AWKUM has also partnered with the University College for Women and while working together, both educational institutes would mainstream and promote the women public intellectuals, literati and speakers also.
Along with promoting the works of literature, the LitFest also brings in the experts to engage with the university youth on challenges the youth faces in the day and age of internet.
The experts from Peshawar and Islamabad would engage with the youth on the challenges of Fake News and how to seek entrepreneurial careers via the power and possibilities of internet in Pakistan.
The University is also partnering with the Center for Social Education and Development, Islamabad to celebrate the local traditions of arts, literature, music and culture of Mardan. Executive Director of CSED, Mubashir Akram said that the literary festivals in Pakistan have become a “thing of the big cities only,” and that implies as if “there is no intellectual life in the smaller cities of Pakistan.”
He said that the smaller cities and town-centers of Pakistan also have the right to mainstream their expression via such celebrations and festivals.—INP
