The campus is buzzing with excitement as it gets ready to host around 40 eminent speakers during the third edition of the two-day Shoolini Literature Festival beginning on March 17. The charismatic celebrities, hailing from all walks of life, will talk about their work in different genres, including fiction, poetry, films, food and more.
Padma Bhushan Ruskin Bond, one of India’s most prolific writers, will deliver the inaugural keynote address on the opening day of the LitFest. “It was apt to have him inaugurate the festival as his love for the mountains is evident in his writings and the theme of this year’s festival is ‘The Call of the Mountains,’’ says Dr Manju Jaidka, one of the directors of the festival.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, another prominent writer, will be the keynote speaker on Day 2. Her novels, ‘Palace of Illusions’ and ‘The Last Queen’, continue to top the charts. Her newest book, ‘Independence’, depicts the experiences of three sisters in strife-torn Calcutta as India frees itself from the British yoke.
Mahesh Dattani, the famous playwright; Bachi Karkaria, noted columnist and writer; Raj Shekhar, poet and lyricist who has written for movies like ‘Tanu Weds Manu, ‘Veere di Wedding’ and ‘Uri’; Atika Chohan, scriptwriter for acclaimed films like ‘Chhapaak’ and ‘Margrita with a Straw’ are among the well-known participants.
Among other prominent participants are, Manjiri Prabhu, who is also known as India’s Agatha Christie; Doctor-turned-food writer Dr Nandita Iyer; Ajay Jain, the founder of Kunzum book chain; Pavan Jha, a noted film historian; Ankit Jhamb and Mamta Chander, corporate leaders who love writing; and Chander Trikha, the award-winning poet.
The two-day festival will have many other attractions like book signings, storytelling sessions, writing competitions for the audiences, etc. The evenings will shift to the Open-Air Theatre (OIA) for musical performances. A band of young artists called the Benaam Artists from Chattisgarh will regale the audiences on Day 1 with film and folk music. On the second day, senior artists from Kolkata will present Sarod and vocal recitals in the Hindustani classical tradition.
The festival has been clubbed with the annual flower festival at Shoolini, which includes an exhibition and sale of floral and ornamental plants, exciting cuisines and fun activities for children.