(Siraj Bhaagat)
Karachi, November 30, 2025:
The historic Ghulam Hoosain Khalikdina Hall and Library came alive as it hosted the vibrant Reading Room Festival, a day-long celebration of Karachi’s diverse cultural, creative, and literary spirit. Held from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the festival transformed the iconic venue into a dynamic urban cultural retreat, attracting artists, students, writers, performers, and citizens from across the city.
The festival showcased Karachi’s rich creative energy through multiple interactive experiences. The outdoor space featured beloved local street food of karachi from bun kebabs, chaat, and momos to traditional matka tea stalls created a nostalgic culinary atmosphere. Inside the library, visitors engaged in artisanal workshops that highlighted traditional crafts, including truck art, offering hands-on creative expression for all age groups.
The grand main stage at Khalikdina Hall presented a powerful lineup of performances and discussions. Grips Theatre’s engaging play “Unfit Ball Hai Duniya Mere Agay”, followed by a thought-provoking panel titled “Reading the City” featuring Afzal Zaidi, Mehar Jafri, Nusrat Khuwaja, and Saima Zaidi. The audience was also captivated by a mesmerizing Dastangoi performance “Tilism-e-Hoshruba Haveli” by Dastango, along with several informative and inspiring discussions throughout the day.
The festival concluded on a spiritually uplifting note as Ghayoor Moiz Qawwal & Brothers performed a soulful qawwali, transforming the hall into a moving expression of community, heritage, and shared artistic experience.
The Reading Room Festival explored and expanded how public spaces, heritage, literature, creative education, and community intersect in an urban setting. The event, free and open to all, fostered healthy exchanges across diverse age groups, genders, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Reading Room Karachi – Volume II continues the mission to revitalize and open the historic Khalikdina Hall and Library as an inclusive cultural space for the people of Karachi. The festival was organized through a collaboration between NumaishKhi (A is an interdisciplinary collective which aims to open public spaces for cultural production) and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), with support from the British Council Pakistan’s Cultural Protection Fund.
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