This year, we are celebrating 10 years of reopening of British Council Libraries in Pakistan and the UK’s National Year of Reading. To mark these celebrations, we are excited to bring a series of book clubs, author talks and literary activities to our community of readers.
We are delighted to launch “10th Anniversary Shelf”, a series of curated conversations around a selected book as a part of our celebratory events.
For the first in this series, join us for a book club where we explore “What Remains After A Fire”, author Kanza Javed’s second book which has been nominated for the 2026 Dylan Thomas Prize. On this exploratory journey moderated by Sidra F. Sheikh, we will delve into the book's eight unflinching and stunningly crafted stories, where the author spools into the intricately woven lives of characters desperately trying to forge a path for themselves on the margins of society. Written with sharp insight and remarkable empathy, these stories reach across divides of class, gender, and religion as Javed deftly examines questions of identity and agency, belonging and loss.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, 23 May 2026
Time: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Age Group: 18 and above
Free for members and non-members to participate
Registrations close on Friday, 22 May 2026 at 3 pm
This event is appropriate for adults aged 18 and above. Please note that you will receive a confirmation email from our library team with access guidelines details before the event day. If you face any difficulty in the registration process, please write to us at librarylhr@britishcouncil.org.pk
About Sidra F. Sheikh:
Sidra F. Sheikh is a lawyer and a writer. She is the author of the bestselling The Light Blue Jumper, published in June 2017 by Mongrel Books, Karachi and its sequel, A Shade Darker, published by Windy Beach Books in April 2025. Her poems, ‘No One Likes You’ and ‘The Monster is Real’ were published in the Aleph Review, Volume 5 and in Koi Hai, Letters to Palestine, by Zuka Books, respectively.
Equality Policy:
We aim to create a safe environment, for adults and children who are potentially at risk for a variety of reasons, in which no child or adult will experience harm or exploitation during their contact with us. To find out more about our safeguarding policy, visit https://www.britishcouncil.org/about-us/how-we-work/policies/safeguarding