about the challenges facing contemporary Pakistan.On a panel Saturday with bestselling authors Daniyal Mueenuddin and Moni Mohsin, the discussion focused on whether- as Pakistani writers- there were certain topics they avoided.Ms. Mohsin –famous for her work “The Life of a Social Butterfly,” about a ditzy Lahori socialite – dismissed the question saying that she simply didn’t write about mullahs because she didn’t know anything about the life of a mullah.“Of course there is a censorship that we have to impose on ourselves because we are in Pakistan,” Mr. Mueenuddin retorted,cheapest toms shoes, “But does it matter that we self-censor?” he questioned to nervous titters in the audience.Some writers appeared to push against assumptions tied to their nationality, while others embraced it as an unavoidable and commercial reality.The decision to write in English or Urdu was discussed as an equally fraught political statement. “The stuff that gets published in English are the things that fit into the narrative of Pakistan,” said Musharraf Ali Farooqi, who said he would write in Urdu if there was a large enough publishing industry.Ms. Mohsin dismissed that there was any political statement in the choice of language. “I went to an English medium school and feel more comfortable writing in English,” she said.H. M. Naqvi, author of the award-winning novel “Homeboy,” in an interview described English as much a language of Pakistan as Urdu. “They are both imports,” he said.“English has a tradition that is as deeply routed in Pakistan as Urdu but there is a misplaced anxiety about it,” he said, “The bigger question is: Will Pakistani literature transcend this easy categorization?”Ms. Mohsin and Mr. Naqvi both described how once they had achieved fame in the West they were asked by the international media to write columns about Pakistan. They both pushed back, saying that being Pakistani writers did not qualify them to write about the Pakistan of the headlines.The definition of Pakistan promoted by the daily news beat appeared to be what the Lahore Literary Festival is seeking to reclaim.“Lahore’s cultural heartbeat just dissipated,” said Mr. Ahmed, “It feels amazing to feel like we’ve contributed something to reviving it.”You can follow  India Real Time on Twitter @IndiaRealTime,discount toms shoes. Add a Comment Error message Name We welcome thoughtful comments from readers. Please comply with our guidelines. Our blogs do not require the use of your real name. Comment Comments (2 of 2) View all Comments 12:04 am February 26, 2013 Saif ul Huk wrote: It s a good write-up on this 1st recently-held Lahore Literary Festival (LLF). LLF followed closely on the heels of the 4th Karachi Literary Festival (KLF), that is now a well known annual event on regional international literary calendars,cheap toms shoes. I sincerely hope LLF will become an annual feature too. As Pakistan s cultural literary heart its 2nd largest city with a long rich history, Lahore deserves more projection internationally. I m glad LLF got media attention outs Related articles:

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