ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) is all set to launch the country’s first ever literary television (TV) channel and radio station for developing better understanding of literature and culture among people, PAL Chairman Fakhar Zaman told APP on Tuesday.

He said that TV channel would be launched soon as it was in final stages of its completion. He added that initially the channel’s transmissions would be of six-hour duration adding literary and cultural programmes would be telecast on the channel besides special seminars and book reviews.

He said that literary figures would be invited to the talk shows to enlighten young generation on the messages writers and poets had tried to communicate through their literary contributions. “Literary sessions and talent hunt programmes will also be the part of the transmissions,” the chairman added. Zaman hoped the channel would persuade youth to turn to literature. “However, a number of other steps are also being taken to inculcate in youngsters and children interest in literature,” he elaborated. He said that PAL as a first step would award best writers of the children literature in order to encourage them to contribute more with their writings. He said that PAL would publish country’s only English literary journal ‘Pakistani Literature’ on quarterly basis. He said the journal was earlier published twice a year. He said the publication would help introduce Pakistani literature abroad. He said that books on regional languages were also being published besides translations of foreign literary works into Pakistani languages.
Source: Daily Times
Date:4/7/2010