Thursday February 01, 2024
Friday February 02, 2024
Saturday February 03, 2024
Sunday February 04, 2024
Monday February 05, 2024
03:00 PM to 03:50 PM

01. Inaugural Address

Manisha Chaudhry, Sanjoy K.Roy, Ambassador May-Elin Stener, and Namita Gokhale
04:00 PM to 04:50 PM

02. Satrangi: Rainbow Readings

Bharat Ola, Chintan Girish Modi, and Kinshuk Gupta in conversation with Aditi Maheshwari-Goyal
In the tapestry of Indian language publishing, the threads of sexuality had limited colours for a long time. Recently, writings in Hindi, Rajasthani, and other languages are reflecting a gratifying new trend of exploring the spectrum of sexualities. How do publishers, authors, and commentators view this long-overdue harbinger of change?
05:00 PM to 05:30 PM

03. Celebrating 50 years of publishing - DC Books

Ravi Deecee in conversation with Karthika VK
The phenomenally successful Malayalam publishing company DC Books celebrated its 50th birthday in 2023. Listen to the inspiring story of the journey with Ravi Deecee in conversation with Karthika VK
10:00 AM to 10:50 AM

04. Marketing in the Times of Social Media

Pragya Tiwari, Saksham Garg, Atika Gupta, and Jai Prakash Pandey in conversation with Ajay Jain 
The art and science of marketing books is changing. Specialist agencies, social media engagement and reviews on YouTube are just some of the ways that determine how books stand out in an attention-deficit economy. Meet experts who are driving the change from the front.
11:00 AM to 11:50 AM

05. To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before: 40 years of Feminist Publishing in India

 Urvashi Butalia and Ritu Menon in conversation with R Sivapriya
Veteran feminist publishers Urvashi Butalia and Ritu Menon in conversation with R Sivapriya to celebrate this milestone.
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM

06. The Language Toolbox: Lexicons, Dictionaries, Thesaurus

Meeta Lall, Diana Mickevičienė, and Oscar Pujol in conversation with Udaya Narayana Singh
Lexicographers are unsung heroes who toil to expand the universe of languages. Translators, linguists, readers and writers all owe them a huge debt. What drives them to take on this gargantuan task which is never finished? This session explores all these questions and more!
02:00 PM to 02:50 PM

07. Deep Connections: Podcasts and Books

Amrita Tripathi, Richard Osman, and William Dalrymple in conversation with Hemali Sodhi
Podcasts bring a unique connection between voice and text. High quality podcasts connect with listeners with an intimacy that fosters trust. How are podcasts making more listeners into readers? This is a session that examines the deepening symbiosis.
03:00 PM to 03:50 PM

08. Infinite Horizons: The Landscape of Translation

Ranjit Hoskote, Mini Krishnan, and Arunava Sinha in conversation with Karthika VK
As more readers across the world reach out for translations, they also receive attention and recognition in book awards. An erudite panel discusses the reach and impact of books that cross linguistic and cultural borders.
04:00 PM to 04:50 PM

09. The Next Chapter: AI and the Future of Publishing

Meru Gokhale, Charles Collier, and Safir Anand in conversation with Marcus du Sautoy
As AI storms into various aspects of our lives, publishing is no exception. What does the future hold with AI entering the domains of editing, translation and audio books? How will AI impact legal contracts and the understanding of originality in IP? This session attempts to read the new shapes on the horizon.
05:30 PM to 06:20 PM

10. Confluences: Multilingual Publishing in the Global South

Anitah Aujayeb, Ibrahim Waheed, Bhuchung and D. Sonam, in conversation with Chandler Crawford
Be it to preserve memory or to keep alive the soundscape of different languages, the drumbeat of creativity powers the work of committed publishers from various countries. Tune in to this thoughtful panel of publishers hailing from lands as diverse as Mauritius and Tibet.
10:00 AM to 10:50 AM

11. The Alchemy of Bookselling

Aakash Gupta, Ajay Jain, Aditi Maheshwari Goyal, Vishal Pinjani, Pulkit Tiwari, and Priya Kapoor in conversation with Rahul Dixit
A visit to a bookstore should open doors to a world of magic. Bookstore wizards speak up for the fine art of curation and display. This is a session that looks at how booksellers expand the circle of readers.
11:00 AM to 11:50 AM

12. Growing and How? Educational Publishing in India

Atiya Zaidi and Neeraj Jain in conversation with Ananth Padmanabhan
Educational publishing remains the commercial backbone of the Indian book industry. Some leading publishers discuss the prospects of growth in the current policy environment and the implementation of the NEP. They also explore areas of common interest between educational and trade publishers.
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM

13. Ear to the Ground: Evolving lists of Indian language publishers

Parminder Singh Shonkey, Gita Ramaswamy, Ravi Deecee, Shailesh Bharatwasi, Kannan Sundaram, and Esha Chatterjee in conversation with Mita Kapur
The vibrant hum of energy is heard across the landscape of Indian language publishing. What books are finding greater traction? Get a peek into the diverse worlds of Telugu, Malayalam, Bangla, Tamil, Hindi and Punjabi publishers.
02:00 PM to 02:50 PM

14. Underscore: Issues of Taxation in Publishing and the Headache named Piracy

Nandan Jha, Ravi Deecee and Dahlia Sen Oberoi in conversation with Aditi Maheshwari Goyal
Leading publishers discuss the current taxation regime. What are the changes they would like to see? How are they grappling with the problem of pirated books? Are the legal remedies satisfactory? This session takes a close look at the hard questions.
03:00 PM to 03:50 PM

15. Beauty and the Book

Sunandini Banerjee, Ahlawat Gunjan, Philip Watson, and Svein Størksen in conversation with Priya Kapoor
The book as an object of enduring beauty takes shape under the discerning eye of outstanding designers. An inspiring session where extraordinary talents talk about their creative process and the outcome that we get to hold and cherish.
04:00 PM to 04:50 PM

16. Mirrors of the World

Luise Braunschweig, Jan Karsten, Alvaro Enterria, Vera Michalski-Hoffmann, and Gabriella Page-Fort in conversation with Naveen Kishore
Books signpost the zeitgeist of nations and seek out universalities across the world. Publishers from different countries share what inspires them to grow their lists and what the future holds for reading communities.
05:30 PM to 06:20 PM

17. Questing for Data: The Nielsen Report and Other Insights

Vikrant Mathur and Rick Simonson in conversation with Hemali Sodhi
For an industry poised to grow, data on the book market in India remains quite scarce. The Nielsen Report provides some valuable insights on the size of the market, trends and the factors that will drive growth. Industry experts unpack key findings and advocate for the collection of more data across the spectrum of publishing.
10:00 AM to 10:50 AM

18. Journeys across Boundaries

Naveen Kishore in conversation with Sanjoy.K.Roy
Seagull Books celebrated its 40th birthday in 2023. The iconic publishing house has created fine books across borders and boundaries. Naveen Kishore walks us through the extraordinary journey of Seagull, one full of leaps of faith, friendships and rewarding literary connections.
11:00 AM to 11:50 AM

19. Digital Dreams:OTT and Publishing

Sahira Nair, Anish Chandy, Radhika Gopal, and Anand Neelakantan in conversation with Ananth Padmanabhan
An outside-in view of publishing from the specialists in the OTT space. What can publishers do to leverage content, old and new, with the OTT industry? How do they build greater synergy? This is a session that opens windows to fresh ideas and exchange.
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM

20. Indian Literature: Across Languages, Across Scripts

Suchitra Ramachandran, Sukrita Paul Kumar, Mini Krishnan, and Daisy Rockwell in conversation with R Sivapriya
India speaks in a thousand tongues. India reads in several scripts. Discerning literary voices from across the country reflect upon experiments in form and content. What is keeping readers, old and new, glued to the page or the screen?
02:00 PM to 02:50 PM

21. Neenda Kaala Uravu: Literary Friendships that Last

Perumal Murugan and Kannan Sundaram in conversation with Vivek Shanbhag 
Tamil publisher Kalachuvadu has consistently published Perumal Murugan's writing over the last twenty years. The latest JCB award for Fire Bird is but one testament to the creative synergy between them. What goes into the making of such a long standing literary friendship?
03:00 PM to 03:50 PM

22. Connecting Flights: Indie Publishing in the UK and India:

Gita Ramaswamy and Rosemarie Hudson in conversation with Ruchira Das
Supported by the British Council
The flourishing Indie publishing scene in the UK and India never ceases to surprise and delight, as it continues to throw up creative talents fearlessly treading new paths. There is much fertile ground for ongoing exchange between Indie publishers from the two countries.
04:00 PM to 04:50 PM

23. Reading Pictures: For the Early Bookworm

Sushil Shukla, Neeraj Jain, Nancy Silberkleit, and Prashant Pathak in conversation with Kanishka Gupta
Picture books draw first readers into unravelling the mysteries of image and text. How do publishers make the first happy step on the reading ladder turn into a giant leap of becoming a bookworm?
05:30 PM to 06:20 PM

24. Taking Wing: Publishing across Borders

 

Lena Luczak, Anna Katharina Fröhlich, Franziska Otto, Naveen Kishore, Shailesh Bharatwasi, Trisha de Niyogi, Annette Michael, Kannan Sundaram, Alvaro Enterria, Parminder Singh Shonkey, Anirudh Chakravartty, Dirk Rehm, Vera Michalski-Hoffmann, Sanghamitra Biswas, Milee Ashwarya and Ravi Deecee in conversation with Arcopol Chaudhuri
This session invites publishers from India and abroad to share information about their eclectic lists. The perfect platform to start professional matchmaking and do better business across borders.
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

25. Festival Directors' Roundtable

Anja Bengelstorff, Claudia Kaiser, Deeba Salim, Jessie Friedman, Kitso Pelmo, Govind Deecee, Shinie Antony, Shubha Sanjay Urs, Janet DeNeefe, Hem Pant, Ras Bihari Gaur, and Hannah Curtis in conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy