The Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF) is a three-day book and ideas festival organised by Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan, and in recent years it has been held in early November at the Gandhara Citizens Club inside Fatima Jinnah (F-9) Park. The 2024 edition, the tenth, ran from 8 to 10 November and was free to attend with no registration. We could not find confirmed dates for a later edition, so check the festival's own site before you plan around it.
That makes this a guide to the pattern of the festival rather than a fixed calendar entry. It covers when it has run, where it happens, what entry has looked like, and how to fit it into a visit to the capital.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Organiser | Oxford University Press Pakistan |
| Usual timing | Early November (3 to 5 November 2023; 8 to 10 November 2024) |
| Venue | Gandhara Citizens Club, F-9 (Fatima Jinnah) Park, Islamabad |
| Entry in 2024 | Free, no registration, according to the festival's site |
| Length | Three days |
| Official site | islamabadliteraturefestival.com |
When is the Islamabad Literature Festival held?
The festival began in 2013, and Wikipedia records the first three editions as spring events: 30 April to 1 May 2013, 25 to 28 April 2014 and 24 to 26 April 2015. More recently it has moved to autumn. The ninth edition opened on 3 November 2023, and the tenth ran from 8 to 10 November 2024.
We found no confirmed announcement for a 2025 or 2026 edition, and the dates have shifted before, so do not book flights or hotels around a date you read on a listing site. The official festival website and OUP Pakistan's social media channels are where dates are announced first. If you find an unofficial event page with a date, confirm it there.
Where is it held?
Recent editions have used the Gandhara Citizens Club, which sits inside Fatima Jinnah Park in sector F-9. The festival's site names Gates 4 and 5 of the park for the 2024 edition; check which gates are in use, because park gates are sometimes closed or reassigned for events.
The park is large, roughly 300 hectares according to Wikipedia, and the club is a walk from the nearest gate, so allow time to arrive. Our guide to F-9 Park covers the park itself, including what else there is to do around it if you arrive early or stay late.
Is entry free?
For 2024 the festival's website said the event was free and open to all, with no registration: "just turn up". In 2023 press coverage described the opening day as open to the public. Some sessions or evening events at other editions may have been handled differently, and we could not confirm the arrangement for future editions, so treat free entry as likely rather than guaranteed.
Carry your CNIC anyway, since security checks at events in the capital are routine.
What is on the programme?
The format is consistent: talks, panel discussions, book launches, poetry, performances and a book stall area. The 2024 edition was built around the theme "Sustainability: Words Change Mindsets" and Dawn reported about 55 sessions and 15 book launches, while the festival's own page lists over 50 events with 18 book launches. The numbers differ by source, but the scale is clear: several sessions running each day, in both English and Urdu.
The 2023 edition, themed "People, Planet, Possibilities", included talks on artificial intelligence, education, endangered languages, women in publishing and foreign policy, along with a mushaira and a ghazal night. Speakers across recent editions have included Urdu poets such as Iftikhar Arif and Zehra Nigah and writers, academics and public figures from Pakistan and abroad. Sessions were also streamed live on OUP's social media channels in 2024, which helps if you cannot go every day.
How to plan a visit
Look at the session schedule once it is published and pick the two or three you care about, rather than trying to attend everything. Arrive early for any session you particularly want to see.
- Getting there. Our guide to getting around Islamabad covers the options and what to expect from traffic.
- Weather. November evenings in Islamabad are cooler than the days, so a light jacket is sensible for late sessions. Our note on the best time to visit Islamabad explains the season.
- Books. Take some cash and a bag in case stalls do not take cards.
- Traffic and security. Road closures in the capital can appear at short notice. Check local news on the day.
Who is it for?
It suits readers, students, teachers and families who enjoy a day of listening and browsing, and it is easy to combine with the capital's other sights. It is less suited to travellers who want a fixed itinerary, because the programme is only released shortly before the event. If you are in the city and it does not coincide, our guide to things to do in Islamabad has alternatives, and the Karachi Literature Festival is a similar event in another city. For more ideas, see our experiences page.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Islamabad Literature Festival?
The 2023 edition ran from 3 November and the 2024 edition from 8 to 10 November. We could not confirm dates for a later edition, so check the official website before planning.
Where is the Islamabad Literature Festival held?
At the Gandhara Citizens Club inside Fatima Jinnah (F-9) Park in Islamabad, in recent years.
Is the Islamabad Literature Festival free?
The 2024 edition was free and needed no registration, according to the festival's site. Confirm the arrangement for the edition you plan to attend.
Who organises it?
Oxford University Press Pakistan, which has produced the festival since it started in 2013, working with corporate partners such as Getz Pharma in recent years.
Can I follow it online?
In 2024 the sessions were streamed live on OUP's social media channels, so you can watch if you cannot travel.
