The Book Club of Government College University (GCU) Lahore has hosted a three-day Read Fest 2023, a celebration of literature and writing. The festival is graced by the presence of several renowned writers and poets who addressed students and shared their insights on the craft of writing. The opening session was chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi.
In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi emphasized the significance of reading and writing in shaping the future of society. He said, “At GCU Lahore, we revived the Book Club to promote a culture of reading and writing, and events like Read Fest serve to inspire and engage our students and the community.
In the first session, 𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐫 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐲𝐲𝐚𝐫, who has an enormous contribution to contemporary Urdu fiction and critique, discussed the importance of a writer’s background and society in shaping their writing, and the need for courage to address societal issues. He believed that society shapes the mindset of a writer.
In the second session, notable Punjabi researcher, historian, and fiction writer, 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐮 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐦 spoke about his journey as a writer and the importance of regional languages. He expressed concern over the loss of originality in Punjabi due to the influence of other languages.
Amna Mufti, a famous Pakistani novelist, and playwright, also spoke at the festival. Shahid Siddiqui, a renowned educationist and prolific writer, also addressed the students and discussed his experiences in academia.
GCU Book Club Advisor 𝐃𝐫 𝐀𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐥𝐢 spoke about the importance of writing in today’s world and encouraged the young writers in the audience to pursue their passions. He said it is an honor to host such a distinguished group of writers and poets, and we hope that this festival will foster a love for literature among our students.
The festival will conclude on Thursday (today) with a grand closing ceremony.
