ISLAMABAD: A large number of eminent writers, actors and performers are ready to be the part of the capital’s much awaited three day Children Literature Festival opening tomorrow.

“After the success of earlier children festivals in the federal capital and across the country Idara-E-Taleem-o-Aagahi and Oxford University Press (OUP) in collaboration with Open Society Foundations and Lok Virsa – National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage believe that festival this year will bring smiles to the faces of not only our kids but parents, teachers and the general public of twin cities”, said Maham Ali, CLF Program Manager while addressing the CLF launching press conference here at Lok Virsa on Tuesday. She was accompanied by Lok Virsa Director Dr. Fauzia Saeed and Nargis Sultana of Open Society Foundations.

CLF Islamabad 2015 is going to be the 21st Children’s Literature Festival along with the 5th Teachers’ Literature Festival. Three day literature celebration will start on Oct 01 by dedicating the first day to teachers literature festival in which specially designed programs, sessions, workshops and performances for teachers will be hosted while the following two days children from twin cities would be enjoying not only literature but culture, drama, puppet shows,  story-telling sessions and many more interesting activities, Maham Ali narrated.  CLF this year is being held in collaboration with Oxford University Press and  Lok Virsa.

Lok virsa' s focus is to invest in our children and give them a sound cultural identity well rooted in our folk heritage. We see no better partner than CLF to move forward. said Dr. Fauzia Saeed, Lok Virsa director. We hope Children's Literature Festival (CLF) becomes a sustainable national movement towards critical thinking, creativity and learning beyond textbooks, she added.

While revealing the key celebrities attending CLF and TLF this year, Maham Ali said that a galaxy of celebrities including leading authors and writers like Haseena Moin, Kishwar Naheed, Harron rashid and  Dr. Arfa Sayeda Zehra would be sharing their thoughts with children in different sessions along with renowned vocalist Tina Sani and many others including Zubeida Mustafa,  Nargis Sultana, Mosharraf Zaidi, Rafique Tahir, Dr. Fouzia Saeed, Zubeida Mustafa, Nargis Sultana, and Zubair Torwali, Rumana Husain, Zoone Hasan, Khaled Anam, Amra Alam, Adeel Hashmi, Izzah Meyer, Sitwat Yusafzai, Haseena Moin, Amra Alam will be attending the event. It’s a matter of great pride that the CLF has not been limited to eminent authors, poets and institutes only in Pakistan but also got great response and participation from writers, storytellers and teachers from across the border and from other countries like Nepal and Afghanistan, she added.

CLF organizers and Lok Virsa administration invited the people of the twin cities to participate in this festival along with their children and families, where entry is free to make it as successful as it was last year.