CLF Literati 2025 concludes in Chandigarh with inaugural national-level book awards

Chandigarh, Nov 23 (PTI) The Chandigarh Literati Festival (CLF) 2025 wrapped on Sunday with a vibrant line-up of literary discussions, author interactions, book launches and the inaugural CLF Literati Book Awards.

Organised by the Chandigarh Literary Society (CLS), the event marked a significant milestone for the city's cultural landscape.

Festival Director and CLS Chairperson Dr Sumita Misra said the institution of the awards was a moment of pride for Chandigarh.

“Today is a moment of pride for all of us as Chandigarh now has its own national-level book awards. We plan to announce the awards every year, making the festival a holistic national literary event,” she said.

She said the festival generated enthusiasm across regional and national literary circles by bringing together authors, poets, academics and analysts for conversations on books, ideas and contemporary issues.

This, she said, has strengthened Chandigarh's image as a national literary destination.

Misra thanked all speakers, authors, interlocutors, the audience and the CLS team for enriching the festival.

The concluding day began with a creative writing workshop conducted by Sonika Sethi and Deviyani Singh.

The first session, Spiritual Chords: Stories of Change and Choice, featured author Shalini Modi and spiritual mentor Krishnapad Das Krishna in conversation with poet and devotional singer Annurani Sharma.

This was followed by Roots and Recipes: A Wellness Conversation with nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar and author-academic Urvi Sharma.

In Bihar Diaries and Ground Zero: Real Heroes, Real Stories, IPS officer and author Amit Lodha discussed his works alongside former national hockey player Veena Raman, wife of late IPS officer Vijay Raman. They were in conversation with IPS officer and author Arsh Verma.

Two books, Life, Love and Us by Sonia Vashisht Oberoi and Echoes of the Soul by Ravee Pandher, were launched during the ‘Book Buzz’ segment.

Subsequent sessions included India’s Living Constitution featuring lawyer and former parliamentarian Ashwini Kumar; Telling Tales, Touching Lives with authors Shobha Tharoor and Mona Verma; Saaz Aur Sama: The Art of Qawwali with Manjari Chaturvedi, Affan Yesvi and Dhruv Sangari; Seedha Samvaad with writers Balram and Vijay Kapoor; and From Krishna to Chanakya featuring author Ashwin Sanghi.

The festival concluded with the CLF Literati Awards ceremony.

The Undying Light by Gopalkrishna Gandhi won in the English Non-fiction category, The Ayodhya Alliance by Ashwin Sanghi in English Fiction, and Shubh Din by Balram in Hindi. PTI VSD OZ OZ