The LLF aired on the 23rd of February 2024. I had a chance to visit the LLF on the 24th, which is the second day. The air was festive as people thronged The Alhamra Complex to attend the literary sessions being held. The management committee was humble and very helpful. There was a change in schedule at the last minute and it created confusion amongst the audience. However, the management tackled the situation very tactfully. And it failed to create fear among the spectators.
I attended the session on Mohsin Hamid and Monica Ali. Hamid and Ali both deal with the immigrant paradox and identity crisis. Whilst Hamid in his novel The Last White Man through the lens of magical realism addresses the issue of racism and discrimination, Ali takes on a more realistic viewpoint to discuss the same issues. Ali’s novel Bricklane is situated in an apartment of bricks at the East end of Britain. The symbolism behind the title is apt in how bricks and mortar are heartless and cannot feel.
The protagonist Nazneen belongs to a village in Bangladesh. As she moves to London in the hope of a better future she falls in love with a rich man of her age. Her husband is 20 years older than her and fails to attract her. He calls her a cheat and a liar but Nazneen stands her ground and is finally able to win over his trust.
Hamid’s novel The Last White Man uses the symbolism of how Andreas the protagonist turns undeniably brown and hence does not have access to the benefits of white supremacy. It is all about the colour of the skin. how brown or black is inferior from all angles. The theme of racism is a blatant theme that runs through the novel. However. Hamid could also be referring to the pandemic. How it affected people’s freedom to move around without being subject to the threat of life and poverty.
The next session centered around South Asian Fiction writers. Fatima Asghar of Marvel Comics and Awais Khan of In the Company of Strangers. No Honour and Someone Like Her was among the panellists. It again talked of the diaspora and the issues of South Asian countries. Khans’ novel In the Company of Strangers can be paralleled to Hamid’s debut novel, Moth Smoke.
Both deal with the culture of the most elite Lahore and the ills and evils of society in both the lowest strand of society and the highest rank. Khan also brushes upon the issue of honour killings that happen in rural areas. He portrays the rural communities and their problems realistically and intensely.
I didn’t get a chance to read the works of Fatima Asghar and Durre Azeem but I am well aware of Khan’s narratives. Of Asghar, I have seen Marvel Comics where Kamala is the protagonist and she is like a superhero who fights her demons and faces her fears.
The LLF is a platform that brings together literary artists. Celebrities and the youth participate in the festival alike. There were a lot of foreigners that were visiting the LLF too.
Samina Peerzada, says everyone has an ideal they look up to. And she is definitely my ideal.
The LLF provides the opportunity for people from all walks of life to engage in a philosophical discussion, represent their creative potential and network with like-minded people.
To conclude, I would say that Alhamra Arts Complex did a fantastic job in bringing together young talent and old talent alike. It is inspiring to see so many young people coming up with novel ideas to share. It is a learning platform. And I am hoping the trend will continue in the future. Hats off to the entire crew and the panellists for putting together such a remarkable literary event.
