96th Pakistan Learning Festival offered publishers 50% discount model, launched 11 new titles, and showcased emerging talent at Lok Virsa.

Festival Overview: Three Days of Literary Commerce and Cultural Exchange

The 96th Pakistan Learning and Reading Festival concluded at Islamabad’s Lok Virsa on 27 November, drawing publishing professionals, educators, and families for a dynamic three-day programme. Organised by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) alongside the National Book Foundation and Ministry of Federal Education, the event featured thirty-plus sessions spanning theatre, STEAM education, climate literature, and heritage.

Commercial Opportunities: Publisher Participation and Market Access

For trade visitors, the festival’s universal half-price promotion represented significant market stimulation. With typical children’s titles retailing at ₨500–800 ($1.75–2.80), discounted prices fell to ₨250–400 ($0.85–1.40) – a strategic move to accelerate volume sales and expand readership.

National publishers gained direct access to institutional buyers, educators, and families from across Pakistan’s urban centres, while the concurrent National Book Fair created a concentrated commercial window rare in the country’s fragmented distribution landscape.

Content Pipeline: Eleven New Titles Launch with International Partnership

ITA unveiled eleven original storybooks developed with Room to Read and the National Book Foundation, commissioning emerging Pakistani writers and illustrators to address climate change, child safeguarding, and mental health – growth categories aligning with global educational trends.

This initiative signals a structured pipeline for local content creation, offering international co-publishing possibilities and rights potential for publishers tracking diverse voices.

Industry Implications: Building a Sustainable Reading Culture

For publishing professionals, the festival demonstrates a functioning public-private model where institutional partnerships, subsidy mechanisms, and curated programming generate measurable footfall and sales velocity. With 96 iterations, ITA has established a replicable platform that mitigates market-access barriers – a case study in scaling literacy markets through collaborative discounting and content commissioning.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.