Now that more than a year has gone by since the pandemic disrupted our usual way of life, people have started to become acclimatised to online events, even finding them comforting as they become increasingly familiar. The 12th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) was enjoyed from the safety of one’s home, as intellectuals brought a nuanced debate to a world still grappling with the new normal. Changing balances of power In his keynote address, ‘The Future Frontiers’, Iranian-American scholar Vali Nasr spoke about the significant shifts in the global arena across technology, economics and foreign politics, and how countries need to function in this new environment.