London celebrates Faiz with an evening of poetry and prose.

LONDON -- Scores of poetry and literature enthusiasts flocked to the UniAversity of Westminster in Fitzrovia over the weekend to attend the 9th 'Faiz Amn Mela' organised by the UK's Faiz Cultural Foundation.

The event this year was entitled 'Three Poets, Once Voice', and paid homage to the works of progressive poets Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Sheikh Ayaz and Kaifi Azmi. The one-day festival saw book launches, poetry recitals as well as speeches, and concluded with performances by Nirmala Meghani and Shafqat Ali Khan. Notable speakers included Noor Zaheer, Iftikhar Arif, Mujahid Barelvi and Ali Tauqeer.

During the speeches, the organisers thanked all those present for their contribution to their event.

'I want to thank all those people who make this event possible each year. Our sponsors have been very generous and have kept the writings and spirit of Faiz alive,' said Akram Kaimkhani. He talked about how the writings of Faiz are as relevant even today, as Pakistan undergoes political turmoil and is confronted with many challenges.

After the opening...