Adab Festival 2020: what to look out for

The second Adab festival is ready to greet literature lovers at the Arts Council of Karachi on Friday evening.

In the afternoon, guests will be welcomed by a string puppet show by Thespianz. This will be followed by speeches by the co-founders of the festival and sponsors. What to look out for: the keynote speech by retired Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, diplomat Maleeha Lodhi and journalist Francis Robinson.

The first session in Friday’s line-up features a roundtable with Asha Badar, Maliha Zia and Uzma Noorani where the audience will discuss sexual abuse, legal options and social support available.

At 7pm, there’s Ask Me Anything where people can submit anonymous questions about stress, anxiety and the difference between a therapist and counselor.

Day 1 also has must-attend two book launches: Omar Shahid Hamid’s The Fix and Reza Pirbhai’s book on the mother of the nation: Fatima Jinnah.

Day 2: Saturday
If you are interested in garbage management and urban planning, do not miss architects Arif Hasan and Marvi Mazhar in conversation with Karachi’s mayor, PPP’s Murtaza Wahab and Saeed Ghani. If public transport is your thing, check out Mehr Zaidi and Ashar Lodi talking about it at 7.10pm.

For those interested in finance, former SBP governors will be discussing the elite problem in Pakistan at 12.10pm. You can also check out sessions on demystifying sexual harassment at the workplace (6pm), media and adab (1.20pm), literacy and education (2.30pm).  

Not to miss: former IGP Niaz Ahmed Siddiki, ex police chief Saud Ahmed Mirza and Sharjil Kharal looking at the history of the Sindh police (3.40pm). If you’re still obsessed with Meray Paas Tum Ho, it’s worth checking out what’s new in Urdu dramas with writer Hasina Moin and activist Tasneem Ahmer at 4.50pm.

Poetry lovers should attend the mushairah which features giants like Kishwar Naheed, Anwar Shaoor, Afzaal Ahmed Syed, Fatima Hassan and Iftikhar Arif.  

Day 3: Sunday
Start your Sunday with a conversation on Urdu/Hindi cinema with Bushra Ansari and Nadya Chishty-Mujahid where they look at films from Pukar (1939) to Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj ke Khiladi (1977).

Techies should not miss: what matters for Pakistan tech with Nadeem Shaikh and Sameer Chishty or catch them later in the evening in where to make money in Pakistan.

For those interested in satire, Nadeem Farooq Paracha, Saad Haroon and Soraya Mahmood will talk comedy at 2pm. The country’s economy will be put under the microscope on Sunday afternoon with Kaiser Bengali and banker Salim Raza.