Thursday January 30, 2025
Friday January 31, 2025
Saturday February 01, 2025
Sunday February 02, 2025
Monday February 03, 2025
02:00 PM to 02:50 PM

Inaugural Ceremony

H.E May-Elin Stener, Manisha Chaudhry, Namita Gokhale, and Sanjoy K. Roy
03:00 PM to 03:50 PM

01. Green Shoots of Big Ideas: Writing for Children

Special Session with Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo
Esther Duflo in conversation with Mandira Nayar 
Children's literature should reflect the diversity of childhoods that exist across the world. What does a Nobel prize winning economist do to increase representation of kids living in poverty, simplifying lofty economic concepts for young readers? Esther Duflo's illustrated Poor Economics for Kids not only does this, but also opens the gateway to sparking conversations about social justice and equality.
04:00 PM to 04:50 PM

02. From Palmleaf to Pagemaker: A Biography of the Indian Book

Keynote Address by A.R. Venkatachalapathy
A.R. Venkatachalapathy is a historian, Tamil writer, and academic, who has taught and researched at various prestigious institutions across the globe. He has published widely on the social, cultural and intellectual history of colonial Tamil Nadu. He has a deep and abiding interest in the history of books.
05:00 PM to 05:50 PM

03. 30 Years of Kalachuvadu: A Legacy of Publishing Excellence

A.R. Venkatachalapathy, Kannan Sundaram, and Mythili Sundaram in conversation with Neeta Gupta
Kalachuvadu, the iconic Tamil publishing house, has completed 30 glorious years. Kannan Sundaram, Mythili Sundaram, and A.R. Venkatachalapathy trace the journey, in conversation with Neeta Gupta.
11:00 AM to 11:50 AM

04. Perspectives on Practice: Translators in Conversation

Michael Hofmann, Nashwa Nasreldin, Olga Drenda, and Radha Chakravarty  in conversation with Mitra Phukan
Outstanding translators deliberate over the delicate art of translation, and the means by which they weave the skeins of two languages into a web at once strong and fine.
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM

05. How Diverse is My World? Inclusivity in Children’s Publishing

Dipen Singh, Rituparna Neog, and Subrahmanian Seshadri in conversation with Sohini Mitra
In the continuum of the classroom, the textbook, and the library book, how are children learning about diversity in their world? How can we present an inclusive, humane worldview, one that enables respect for diversity through text, image, and experience? Educationists, publishers, and librarians explore the many nuances of inclusivity in school and in children's literature.
 
01:00 PM to 01:30 PM

06. Book Launch: Vaadivaasal (The Arena)

Unveiling of the book by A.R. Venkatachalapathy, Kannan Sundaram, and Elizabeth Kuruvilla
A gripping graphic adaptation of C.S. Chellappa’s acclaimed novel by Perumal Murugan and Appupen.
02:00 PM to 02:50 PM

07. Scanning the Horizon

Brian Murray in conversation with Ananth Padmanabhan
A clear-eyed and incisive analysis of worldwide trends in the publishing industry, this session seeks to interrogate the macro and micro directions that are likely to impact professionals and consumers alike. Featuring Brian Murray, CEO of HarperCollins, in conversation with Ananth Padmanabhan, CEO of HarperCollins India.
03:00 PM to 03:50 PM

08. AI and Creativity: The Emerging Picture

Dhruvank Vaidya, Peter Coveney, and Roger Highfield in conversation with Meru Gokhale
Will AI enable individual creativity to find new ways to express itself? Will the efficiencies in process free up the imagination to breach new frontiers? Pioneering practitioners and thinkers deliberate over the rapidly evolving scenario of AI’s intervention in the creation of audio books, and the act of translations across languages.
04:00 PM to 04:50 PM

09. Hindi Ke Badalte Swaroop

Aishwarj Kumar and Satyanand Nirupam in conversation with Manisha Kulshrestha.
The fourth most spoken language in the world, Hindi encompasses a vast linguistic and literary universe. In this session, publishers, writers and editors reflect upon its multiple trajectories.
05:00 PM to 06:30 PM

10. International Publishing Roundtable

Aditi Maheshwari - Goyal, Emmanuelle Collas, Isabelle Kenyon, Jon Krog Pederson, Kannan Sundaram, Mélody Enjoubault, Milee Aishwarya, Raphaël Thierry, Sabine Wespieser, Stéphane Husar, Swetha Yerram, Tiffany Gassouk, and Vasudhendra in conversation with Arcopol Chaudhuri
This session invites international publishers to share information on the focus of their work, and provides an opportunity to highlight select titles. Publishers will be able to prepare necessary information in advance, and present their work during the roundtable. A great starting point for conversations that lead to essential business connections.
11:00 AM to 11:50 AM

11. Roots and Wings: Stories that travel and Stories that Stay Home

Emmanuelle Collas, Jon Krog Pedersen, Mélody Enjoubault, and Sabine Wespieser in conversation with Manasi Subramaniam
Presented By The Royal Norwegian Embassy
How do books and narratives travel? Which stories fly across boundaries? Which narratives grow strong roots in their native soil?
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM

12. Amma Diary Lo Konni Pageelu: A Few Pages from Mom's Diary

Ravi Mantri in conversation with Swetha Yerram
A tender narrative of lost love, second chances, and the enduring power of connections. Meet Ravi Mantri, the Telugu author whose book has enraptured readers, and Swetha Yerram of Aju Publishers, whose expert guidance has propelled the book to dizzying heights in sales.
01:00 PM to 01:50 PM

13. Literary agents: Pithy pitches and Creative Contracts

 Jayapriya Vasudevan, Kanishka Gupta, and Mita Kapur in conversation with Ranjana Sengupta
Marrying a keen editorial and business sensibility, Indian Literary Agents are matching new authors to the right publishers. From creating favourable pitches, to negotiating sharp contracts, they are vital for allowing fledgling authors to soar high in the literary sky. Leading Indian literary agents speak about their transformative role in improving the pitch for writers in India and abroad.
02:00 PM to 02:50 PM

14. Reading Rights: Crossing Frontiers

Anna Ghosh, Nora Mercurio, and Tiffany Gassouk in conversation with Aditi Maheshwari - Goyal
How do fresh perspectives make their way onto book lists and build strong bridges across languages and cultures? Explore the many facets of buying and selling rights in publishing, and discover how new geographies are explored to bring fresh writing to readers. Listen to experts from around the world.
03:00 PM to 03:50 PM

15. Thrills and Chills: Publishing and Marketing Thrillers

Chandan Pandey, Ram Murali, Sanjeev Paliwal, and Vikas Swarup in conversation with Sayari Debnath
What goes into the making of the evergreen genre that might turn you green around the gills? Meet the authors as they lay bare the anatomy of the thriller, in order to understand their enduring appeal.
04:00 PM to 04:50 PM

16. Literary Magazines: A Writer's Nursery

Andrew O'Hagan, Ashok Maheshwari, and Jai Prakash Pandey in conversation with Aishwarj Kumar
Literary magazines have always platformed fresh talent, providing much needed attention to budding authors. How have they evolved over time and how are they nurturing a new generation of creators? Publishers, editors, and reviewers examine the evolving ecosystem.
05:00 PM to 06:30 PM

17. Editor’s Roundtable

Amrita Talwar, Chiragh Thakkar, Elizabeth Kuruvilla, Karthika VK, Manoj Satti, Moutushi Mukherjee, Rahul Dixit, and Sushant Jha in conversation with Arunava Sinha
Throughout this session, we focus on how the industry commissions, and why specific genres, such as play and poetry, are not given due importance. Furthermore, we examine the implication for editors regarding the increasing influence of sales, both in decision-making and resource-allocation, a shift which directly impacts the process by which works are chosen to see the light of day. 
11:00 AM to 11:50 AM

18. New Media - New Narrative Spheres

Anand Gandhi and Vinay Shukla in conversation with Hemali Sodhi
Shasn is a political strategy board game, with an active player base of 250,000 players across 75 countries. In addition to being India's biggest board game since chess, it is also a pioneering cultural artefact in a new kind of literature - immersive gamified literature. How is this new literature illuminated by the attention of new readers/players who engage with narratives in ever changing ways? Meet the creators, who are in the vanguard of inventing new narrative spheres!
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM

19. Passion Projects: Books distilled with love

Bandeep Singh, M.K. Ranjitsinh, and Ramya Reddy in conversation
When only you can create that book that makes the reader gasp in awe, we ask the authors how and why they decided to publish their own books.
01:00 PM to 01:50 PM

20. Demo Workshop: Introduction to Editrix.ai—Editing Made Faster, Smarter, and Easier

Palak Yadav and Vidhi Gupta
Featuring Palak Yadav, a former intellectual property lawyer, in conversation with Vidhi Gupta, an editor currently working at Editrix.ai, this session aims to provide an informed look at the potential and practical applications of next-generation AI tools,  for editors and publishers. 
02:00 PM to 02:50 PM

21. A Creative Kinship: The Relationship Between Authors and Editors

Malavika Rajkotia, Meru Gokhale and Ravi Singh in conversation
The relationship between author and editor creates a rare alchemy that transmutes into literary gold. Listen to editors as they explore the nuances of their relationships with authors.
03:00 PM to 03:50 PM

22. Putiya Katru: The Fresh Breeze in Tamil Publishing

Ival Bharathi, Gayathri Ramasubramanian, and Nivedita Louis in conversation with Kannan Sundaram
Presented By Kalachuvadu
What are the latest trends in the vibrant world of Tamil publishing? Hear from the freshest voices in the industry as they share their visions and the highlights of their catalogues.
04:00 PM to 04:50 PM

23. Shades in the Publishing Spectrum: Indies from Britain and India

Isabelle Kenyon and Vasudhendra in conversation with Michael Houlgate 
Presented By British Council
This session focuses on indie publications, and how they manage to break fresh ground in the world of publishing. The British Council publishing fellows from India and Britain share their vision, and weave new connections.
05:00 PM to 06:30 PM

24. Indian Language Publishers’ Roundtable

Ashok Maheshwari, Govind Deecee, Harsha Bhatkal, Jai Prakash Pandey, Jeeva Karikalan, Kannan Sundaram, Nivedita Louis, Vasudhendra, and Vishal Soni in conversation with Aditi Maheshwari - Goyal
Indian Language Publishers take part in a vital conversation, in order to discuss issues that impact them, and find points of common interest.
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

25. Retailers Roundtable: Isn’t it all about Discoverability?

Aditi Maheshwari - Goyal, Govind Deecee, Harshil Shah, Mohit Batra, Pulkit Tiwari, and Shibani Sethi in conversation with Ajay Jain
What are retailers doing for readers to discover more books, new authors?
02:00 PM to 03:30 PM

26. Festival Director’s Roundtable - A Fractured World: Literature amid conflict and change

Alice Mong, Govind Deecee, Irenosen Okojie, Janhavi Prasada, Jenny Niven, Juan Manuel Guimerans, Namita Gokhale, Nicola Tuxworth, Olga Drenda, and Shubha Sanjay Urs in conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy