LAHORE: With an undeterred spirit, post Thursday’s deadly blasts that engulfed the city, Lahoris thronged Faletti’s Hotel premises to attend the annual Lahore Literary Festival. Limited to being a just one-day event, the coveted LLF embraced all literature lovers with a contracted schedule. LLF 2017’s organisers quietly changed the venue and dates for the event, without announcing the new agenda with a big bang. Having said that, some of the leading writers, critics, journalists, editors, professors, actors, filmmakers, architects, philanthropists and columnists formed heavy panels and in less than the time the event formally began, the walls of the local hotel, shuddered with thunderous applause from the audience. A total of three halls were allotted for sessions that ran simultaneously and the visitors were also treated to delectable food items freshly-prepared right outside each hall. A many as 23 sessions were held in total, however there were some of them that headlined this year’s LLF. Session Exit West, featuring renowned writer Mohsin Hamid as well as book critic Dwight Garner who writes for The New York Times, was held in Hall 1 and was fully packed. Exit West is Mohsin Hamid’s newly-released book and so the entire session was about his inspiration behind the book, Hamid’s foray in the field of writing, his countless travels, writer’s block and if he would ever want to pen a memoir. “There’s no doubt how the Lahore Literary Festival is more complicated to organise than a festival at Harvard,” Hamid declared as-a-matter-of-factly, with the listeners laughing meaningfully. Dwight Garner asked the award-winning writer how he took up writing as his full-time profession when he studied law prior to his career choice. “I wasn’t wowed by law to take it up as an occupation, although I do realise that certain terminologies of law define our code of living in more ways than we know.” On a query by Dwight Garner, who was the moderator, Hamid said, “You see, with writers, you never know if we’ll end up taking writing as our profession. We’re always in two minds over this, thinking we might not be good enough. I’m a writer today, because of children’s books.” Hamid informed how his wife always gets to read the first draft of every book he writes. “I see my daughter reading and also sense how every book changes her and makes her grow as a person. I take my time to pen my thoughts and write a book. Many critics have labelled me as The Reluctant Novelist because there’s a noticeable gap after every book I write.” Hamid informed the crowd how he doesn’t state the purpose of a book clearly in the story, rather leaves it to the reader’s discretion of what they want to make of it. “I’m open to writing a memoir but would rather fertilise fiction.” Hamid mentioned how when he looks backs and reads any of his previous books, he cannot relate with the person that he was when he wrote it. “I’m interested in making a book affective.” Dwight asked Hamid if he is open to having his children travel far and wide like he did himself. “Travelling or moving is always painful. I believe you break your heart a little bit every time you move,” he says. Session Elegy of Writing featured poetess and scriptwriter Zehra Nigah, Professor Arfa Syeda Zehra, activist and educationist Syeda Syedain Hameed and scholar Tahira Naqvi who was the moderator. Zehra Nigah emphasised over the concept of marsiya. She mentioned Imam Hussain’s humility by narrating an incident when he was asked about his identity. She mentioned how the meaning of an incident or its severity changes with the tone by which it is being narrated. “Do not make the marsiya about moving or manipulating the gathering. Rather, make it about the subject,” she said. Arfa Syeda Zehra mentioned how each individual needs an ideal in his/her life and Karbala is that brightly-shining star that sparkles if you want to feel it, but doesn’t if you don’t want to feel it. Zehra recited a very beautiful poem on Hussain’s martyrdom and explained how the use of language affects the authenticity of the incident. Syeda Syedain Hameed signed off by saying how the session’s time had expired but their time was still running. Session Naya Savera turned out to be less packed than it was expected. Veteran actress Shabnam Ghosh with Sarmad Khoosat talked about the actress’s foray in the field of acting, her transition from Jharna to Shabnam and how she gave her contemporaries and peers a run for their money at her very peak. LLF 2018 is eagerly-awaited and here’s hoping the country’s situation strengthens for the sake of our culture, people, religion and most of all… literature!