The two-day event brought established writers, poets, intellectuals and young literary voices together amid Kalam’s mountains, river and rich cultural setting.
KALAM: The first two-day Nasl-e-Nau Literary Festival was held in the scenic Kalam Valley under the auspices of Sukhan Foundation and Anjuman-e-Koh-e-Adab, bringing together prominent writers, poets, intellectuals and representatives of the younger generation from across Pakistan.
The festival, reported by Naz Parveen, was held at the picturesque Hujra Hotel in Kalam. Set along the Swat River and surrounded by mountains, greenery, flowers and cool winds, the venue reflected the traditional culture and hospitality of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while providing a distinctive setting for literary activities.
Guests arriving from different parts of the country were welcomed by the organizers. Waqas Aziz Chairman of Sukhan Foundation, along with Anjuman-e-Koh-e-Adab founder Aftab Alam Tab, President Khizar Hayat Khizar and Secretary Ali Muhammad Khan, played a prominent role in organizing the event and looking after the guests.
The two-day festival featured literary sessions, discussions, poetry gatherings and intellectual programmes focusing on various aspects of Urdu literature. Speakers also discussed the importance of reading, creativity and literary taste among young people, particularly examining the growing influence of artificial intelligence and social media on Urdu literature and journalism.
Participants included Muhammad Hameed Shahid, Arshad Miraj, Nasir Ali Syed, Jahangir Imran, Baqar Waseem Qazi, Afshan Abbasi, Muhammad Ali Niaz, Amir Dhaddi, Ashiq Hussain Ashiq, Zeeshan Mehdi, Farman Ali Khayal, Hussain Zaheer Raja, Dr. Tahseen Bibi, Imtiaz A. Qureshi, Naz Parveen, Dr. Shahida Sardar, Atiqur Rehman, Raj Muhammad Afridi, Shah Mahmood Mohmand, Raj Wali, Owais Qarni, Waqas Aziz, Ali Muhammad Khan, Aftab Alam, Khizar Hayat Khizar, Fiaz Wardag, Umar Hayat, Osama Jamshed, Nisar Danish, Shahlan Naseeb, Sajjad Gul and Sardar Shujaat, among others.
The opening ceremony featured introductory remarks by Waqas Aziz, while Muhammad Ali Niaz served as host. The presidential panel included Hameed Shahid, Nasir Ali Syed, Dr. Ashiq Hussain Ashiq, Dr. Tahseen Bibi, Dr. Nisar Danish and Naz Parveen.
The first day included sessions on modern Urdu fiction and its readers, a tribute to poet Ahmad Faraz, and children’s literature and priorities. Recognition ceremonies were also held for Shahlan Naseeb’s poetry collection “Baaz Auqat” and Sajjad Gul’s novel “Murshid.” Musical-poetry performances by Ashiq Hussain Ashiq, Dr. Owais Qarni and Sardar Shujaat further enlivened the gathering.
A Pashto mushaira was held on the first evening, chaired by Muhammad Hanif Qais and moderated by young poet Arbaz Ehsaas. Dr. Shahida Shaheen Sardar, Zubair Afridi and Atta-ur-Rehman Atta were among the participating poets.
On the second day, discussions covered 21st-century Urdu ghazal trends and its future, themes of new poetry and the critic, dialogue with the complete individual of fiction, and the future of Urdu journalism in the presence of social media and artificial intelligence.
The festival concluded with an Urdu mushaira chaired by Imran Ali Khayal and moderated by Ali Niaz. Dr. Shahida Shaheen Sardar, Waqas Aziz, Zeeshan Mehdi, Farman Ali Khayal, Arbaz Baghi, Amir Dhaddi, Shahlan Naseeb, Ashiq Hussain Ashiq, Ali Muhammad Khan and Aftab Alam Tab were among the participating poets.
The literary gatherings continued late into the night, with poetry presented against the backdrop of the moonlit sky and the flowing Swat River. The festival highlighted the potential for literary activities beyond major urban centers and provided young writers and poets with opportunities to engage with established literary figures.
The organizers said the event brought together literature, culture and nature in a setting that offered participants a memorable experience. The festival also highlighted Kalam’s natural beauty and local cultural character while creating a space for literary exchange among generations.
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