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| Abbreviation | PAL |
|---|---|
| Formation | 17 July 1976; 49 years ago (1976-07-17) |
| Legal status | A national academy in Pakistan funded by theGovernment of Pakistan |
| Purpose | Publication of literary and related works, promotion of authorship and literary exchanges |
| Headquarters | PAL Secretariat |
| Location | |
Region served | Worldwide |
Official language | English andUrdu |
Chairman | Najeeba Arif |
Main organ | Pakistan Academy of Letters, Islamabad, and The Board of Governors |
| Affiliations | AMinistry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage (Pakistan) organisation |
ThePakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) (Urdu: اکادمیِ ادبیات پاکستان) is anational academy with its main focus onPakistani literature and related fields. It is the largest and the most prestigiouslearned society of its kind inPakistan, with activities throughout the nation. It was established in July 1976 by a group of renowned Pakistani writers, poets, essayists, playwrights, and translators, inspired by theAcadémie Française.[1]
After its founding in 1976, Pakistan Academy of Letters remains a government-sponsored institution. It works under the jurisdiction ofMinistry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage (Pakistan).[1]
The poetAhmed Faraz was appointed its first director. It is an autonomous non-profit organisation, supervised by its own board of governors, receiving support from theGovernment of Pakistan as the apex national institution.[1]
The academy maintains several regional offices, and links with other national and international organizations of a similar status. Its agenda includes promotion of literary education, publication and documentation. with a view to promoting and fosteringPakistani literature, literary activities in Pakistan, and systematizing the support mechanism to writers and scholars ofUrdu,Punjabi,Saraiki,Sindhi,Pushto,Balochi,English and otherPakistani languages.
In 1978,Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi became the first chairman of its Founding Fellows, among whom were prominent 'men of letters' representing different languages of Pakistan:[1]
Pakistan Academy of Letters was established in 1976 but its board of governors were not officially appointed by theGovernment of Pakistan until 1978, when its objectives and functions were also determined.[1]
The Pakistan Academy of Letters gives annual awards calledNational Literary Awards for the best original books (within the literary and critical categories) written in all the major languages of Pakistan. The award recipients were initially given a cash prize of Rupees 100,000 (increased to Rs200,000 by 2016).[3]
In 1980,Shafiq-ur-Rahman was appointed the academy's first chairman. He has been followed in this fixed-tenure position by a number of writers.
From time to time, the Academy nominates Fellows, and more restrictively some Life Fellows, who earn the privilege of using the post-nominal lettersFPAL. The Fellowship of the academy is highly selective, indicating high distinction in the respective field, and is only awarded to those who are recognized to have contributed extraordinary work to enrich the creation and understanding of Pakistani literature.
TheKamal-e-Fun Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) was launched in 1997 by the Academy in the field of literature for recognition of creative and research work done by individuals. It also initially carried a cash award of Rupees 500,000 (increased to Rupees 1 million by 2016). Starting in 1997, it was conferred on fourteen people by the end of 2010. A jury comprising Pakistan's eminent literary figures announces, after careful consideration, the name of the yearly award recipient. This award is considered to be Pakistan's highest literary award.[2][4][5]
The Academy also confers annual awards for books in Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Baluchi, Siraiki, Brahui, Hindko, English, and in translation. Known as theNational Literary Awards, these were first launched in 1981 and expanded in 2017.[6]
On 24 September 2003,Pakistan Postal Services issued a commemorative postage stamp on the 25th anniversary of the academy's 'official founding' in 1978.[7]
In 2020, Pakistan Academy of Letters inaugurated 'Faiz Ahmed Faiz Auditorium' onFaiz Ahmad Faiz's birthday with the poet's daughtersMuneeza Hashmi,Salima Hashmi and noted litterateurIftikhar Arif in attendance. Federal Minister of EducationShafqat Mahmood also spoke on the occasion.[8]
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| National Heritage and Culture Depts. |
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