the mehfil
Based in London, The Mehfil aims to spotlight contemporary culture from Pakistan
and the Urdu language. Though a comparatively new nation, Pakistan has a long
and rich cultural heritage - Karachi and Lahore being major centres of
literature and the arts in the subcontinent for more than a thousand years. This
relationship between Pakistan's 'newness' and 'oldness', along with its diverse
ethnic composition, has given the country a distinct and effervescent identity,
which colours its artistic, literary, and musical expressions. The Mehfil
welcomes anyone wishing to discover this culturally significant facet of the
subcontinent. Mehfil (noun) - An intimate evening of poetry, music or dance from
the Indus region performed for a small audience. Mehfil in Urdu derives from the
Arabic word mehfil (محفل), which means a (festive) "gathering to entertain (or
praise someone)."
