XII 12th Edition · Open for Nominations

Where Pakistan's stories
find their place in history.

ULA celebrates the writers, artists, poets, thinkers and cultural voices shaping the creative legacy of Pakistan.

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The ULA Manifesto

Literature remembers.

Art transforms.

Culture endures.

The ULA — Pakistan Literature & Arts Awards — is a platform celebrating creative excellence across Pakistan. From Urdu fiction to visual arts, from classical poetry to contemporary drama, ULA recognises the voices that carry our culture forward. This is not merely an annual prize. It is a living record of Pakistan's creative soul.

Our Story
Current Edition

The 12th Edition

Pakistan's most prestigious celebration of literature and the arts returns for its 12th edition. Nominations are open across all categories for works published or performed in 2025–2026.

Nominations Open 1 July 2026
Deadline 30 September 2026
Ceremony December 2026
View Nomination Guidelines
Award Categories

Eleven forms of excellence.

View All Categories
01

Urdu Fiction

Novels and short story collections in Urdu, celebrating the depth of Pakistan's most widely spoken literary language.

02

Urdu Non-Fiction

Criticism, biography, history and essays in Urdu that advance intellectual life and cultural discourse.

03

English Literature

Fiction and non-fiction in English by Pakistani authors, speaking to both local and global audiences.

04

Pakistani Languages

Recognising literary excellence in Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto, Balochi, and other regional languages of Pakistan.

05

Online Literature

Digital-first storytelling, literary blogs, serialised fiction, and creative writing published online.

06

World Literature

International works in translation or by diaspora authors, expanding the boundaries of Pakistani literary identity.

07

Drama Script

Original screenplays, stage plays, and teleplays that represent the highest standard of dramatic writing from Pakistan.

08

Songwriting

Original songs and lyrics — from classical ghazal to contemporary forms — that define Pakistan's musical culture.

09

Visual Arts

Painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media that expand the visual conversation of Pakistani contemporary art.

10

Debut Book

First published works of exceptional promise in any literary language — recognising the next generation of Pakistani voices.

★

Lifetime Achievement

Awarded to an artist or writer whose body of work has made an enduring contribution to Pakistan's cultural heritage.

Winners Archive

Voices that endured.

Explore Full Archive
[Sample] Farida Haideri 2024

Urdu Fiction

[Sample] Farida Haideri

Aag Ka Darya — Revisited

"A landmark work of psychological depth, mapping the landscape of a woman's inner life against the turbulence of modern Pakistan." — Jury Citation

[Sample] Tariq Masood 2024

English Literature

[Sample] Tariq Masood

The Weight of Mangoes

"Masood's debut is a masterwork of diaspora literature — tender, precise, and wholly original in its vision." — Jury Citation

[Sample] Sana Nizami 2024

Drama Script

[Sample] Sana Nizami

Khwab ki Haveli

"A script of immense structural intelligence, blending classical dramatic tradition with a deeply contemporary moral vision." — Jury Citation

[Sample] Arif Karimi 2022

Songwriting

[Sample] Arif Karimi

Mitti ki Khushboo

"Lyrics of rare lyrical economy that recover something essential from Pakistan's classical tradition and place it in a new century." — Jury Citation

[Sample] Zulaikha Qureshi 2022

Lifetime Achievement

[Sample] Zulaikha Qureshi

Five decades of Urdu poetry

"A body of work that has shaped the Urdu literary imagination for half a century. The honour is long overdue." — Jury Citation

[Sample] Rashid Pitafi 2022

Pakistani Languages

[Sample] Rashid Pitafi

Sindhi: Soon Sakhi

"Pitafi's novel restores the dignity of Sindhi fiction on the national stage, a work of beauty and fierce regional pride." — Jury Citation

↑ Scroll to explore. All names and citations above are sample placeholder content.

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Culture Journal

From the editorial desk.

Read All Stories
Literature

The New Urdu Novel:
Voices Redefining the Form

Featured Story

The New Urdu Novel: Voices Redefining the Form

A new generation of Urdu novelists is dismantling the conventions of Pakistani literary fiction — embracing fragmented narrative, unreliable memory, and a radical tenderness towards minor lives. We speak to four writers at the vanguard of this shift.

12 June 2026 · By ULA Editorial Team
Read Article →
Culture

Five Cultural Festivals to Watch This Season

From the Lahore Literary Festival to the Karachi Biennale, the cultural calendar is extraordinary.

8 June 2026
Interviews

A Conversation with Pakistan's Emerging Poets

We speak to poets under 35 who are reshaping what poetry in Pakistan can look and sound like.

2 June 2026
Opportunities

Opportunities for Writers, Artists & Cultural Practitioners

A curated digest of fellowships, residencies, open calls, and publication opportunities for creative practitioners in Pakistan.

Explore Opportunities →
Culture Calendar

What's on in Pakistan.

Full Calendar
08
Jul

[Sample] Lahore Literary Festival — Summer Edition

Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore · Literary Festival
Details
15
Jul

[Sample] Karachi Biennale — Artist Talk Series

Frere Hall, Karachi · Visual Arts
Details
22
Jul

[Sample] Poetry Evening: Voices of the Indus

The Second Floor, Karachi · Poetry
Details
30
Jul

[Sample] National Book Fair — Islamabad

Convention Centre, Islamabad · Book Fair
Details
A reflection

"Stories are the memory
of a people."

کہانیاں ایک قوم کی یاد ہیں

Opportunities

For writers & artists.

Explore All
Fellowship

[Sample] Arts Council Writing Fellowship 2026

Six-month funded fellowship for emerging writers across Pakistan. Open to fiction, poetry, and non-fiction writers.

Deadline: 15 Aug 2026 · Open
Residency

[Sample] Islamabad Artist Residency — Winter 2026

Two-month residential programme for visual artists and writers. Studio space and monthly stipend provided.

Deadline: 31 Aug 2026 · Open
Grant

[Sample] Cultural Heritage Documentation Grant

Funding for research and documentation projects focused on Pakistan's living cultural heritage and oral traditions.

Deadline: 1 Sep 2026 · Open