Chandigarh Lit Fest with theme 'Worlds Within Words', will host leading authors, artists

Chandigarh, Nov 15 (PTI) The Chandigarh Literary Society held a curtain raiser on Saturday for its three-day festival "Literati 2025", scheduled from November 21 to 23, featuring leading authors, artists and public thinkers.

Addressing the media, Dr Sumita Misra, IAS, Chairperson of CLS and Festival Director, said this year's theme of Chandigarh Literature Festival (CLF), "Worlds Within Words," reflects its focus on literature, ideas and imagination.

The event will host 27 speakers, 15 sessions, four book launches and one creative writing workshop, she said.

A cultural evening titled "Saaz Au Aawaaz" by artiste Bhuvan Sharma on November 21 will mark the opening.

Literary sessions on November 22 and 23 will be organised against the backdrop of Sukhna Lake, she said.

Prominent speakers include advertising filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar, actress and poet Sandhya Mridul, senior journalists, poets, researchers and academicians.

The inaugural day of literary exchanges on November 22 will begin with a welcome by Misra, followed by an address by Madhav Kaushik, President, Sahitya Akademi, she said.

Sessions include "The Power of a Story: Advertising Insights" with Kakkar, "Indian Democracy: Evolving Polity and Public Discourse" featuring Shahid Siddiqui, Rasheed Kidwai and Neerja Chowdhury, and "Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution" with Deep Halder and Rami Desai, she said.

The evening will feature "Swarit Mudrayen", a Bharatnatyam presentation at Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan.

On November 23, book launches of "The Silent Brave" by Mehak Grover and "The Legend of Sanjhi-Giri" by Manju Jaidka will be held, she said.

Sessions through the day include discussions on Hindi literature, Punjabi poetry, Chandigarh's architectural evolution, women in literature and an interaction with Sandhya Mridul, she said.

The final day will open with a creative writing workshop followed by sessions on spirituality, wellness with nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, and a discussion with IPS officer, author Amit Lodha, the director of the festival said.

The day will also feature two book launches and sessions on travel writing, storytelling, qawwali traditions, contemporary Hindi literature and a conversation with author Ashwin Sanghi, Misra said.

The festival will conclude with the CLF Literati Awards in English and Hindi categories. PTI VSD SHS SHS