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The capital city is set to host one of its most anticipated cultural celebrations — the 13th edition of the Delhi Literature Festival — from May 2 to 4 at Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi. This year’s theme, 'Delhi Writes: Voices, Visions & Verses', promises to spotlight Delhi's vibrant literary soul alongside powerful national conversations.

The festival will be inaugurated by Gajendra S. Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture & Tourism, in the presence of leading dignitaries, including Rekha Gupta, Delhi Chief Minister; Vijender Gupta, Speaker, Delhi Vidhan Sabha; Kapil Mishra, Cabinet Minister for Culture & Tourism; Keshav Chandra, Chairman, NDMC; and Tim Curtis, Director & Representative, UNESCO India.

Several key sessions intersecting policy, politics and literature will add political and intellectual gravitas to the festival. A special panel on “Demography, Dialogue & Development” will be delivered by Sushri Bansuri Swaraj, Member of Parliament, delving into youth, governance and nation-building. A fireside chat titled “Flowing Through Time: Healing The Yamuna” features Parvesh Sahib Singh, Cabinet Minister, Delhi, highlighting ecological heritage and sustainable futures.

The festival will also witness a no-holds-barred conversation with political commentator and author Dr. Anand Ranganathan, titled “Unscripted, Unapologetic, Unfiltered.”

Over the three days, the festival will host some of India’s finest minds and bestselling authors, including Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri (former diplomat), presenting Swallowing the Sun; Amb. Abhay K, with his national bestseller Nalanda – How It Changed The World; Dr. Aishwarya Pandit, exploring Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade; Ravi Shankar Etteth, Arun Anand, Pavan K. Varma, Taslima Nasrin, Mukul Kumar, and many more.

There is a dedicated session on Hindi Poetry: ‘Itwaar Chhota Pad Gaya’. There will also be a discussion on ‘Can we be strangers again’, national bestseller by Shrijeet Shandilya. Also, Nityananda Misra will talk about his book, ‘Kumbha: The Traditionally Modern Mela’.

The festival will also feature the Delhi Literature Festival Awards 2025, honouring excellence in seven literary categories, and “Writers of the New Century”, an open competition for young writers.

The festival will conclude with a live performance by Meenu Bakshi, presented by Renu Hussain.

Book lovers can explore curated selections at the Kunzum Bookstore, the official Bookstore Partner of the festival. Food and conversation will flow freely at the venue, with gourmet options from Diggin Cafe, L’Opera, Haldiram, and Havemore available on site.

The festival continues its legacy of bringing together thought leaders, literary icons, policymakers and the public to celebrate India’s evolving literary and cultural landscape. The free registration and programme details are available  onwww.delhiliteraturefestival.org

Storyboard18 'Delhi Literature Festival' to kick off on May 2 at Bikaner House

Presenting an exclusive conversation with the legendary sports marketing genius Sonny Vaccaro - the man who convinced Nike to sign Michael Jordan. Vaccaro recently wrote his book ‘Legends and Soles’ with Armen Keteyian. Those who have watched AIR, will remember that Matt Damon played Vaccaro in the film. In this book, Vaccaro famously says, “I’d been more than slightly responsible for turning major college basketball into an unabashed money-making machine.”

 
How did he do this? Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta posed him some questions exclusively for Bookstrapping on Storyboard 18.

 
Building an ecosystem/market for a sport in a country - like you have - what are three top things that are absolutely necessary?

 
Thank you for this question because I had to address that very issue very early in my career. First, start with a younger demographic segment and find a way to create leagues neighborhood by neighborhood, community by community, from the youngest school ages to your version of the American high school.


This requires funding or fundraising to assure that facilities, equipment, uniforms and knowledgeable coaching is available. Also important are volunteers who can organize the structure of the leagues, including accounting, transportation, communications, league schedules and championships. An interest in the game by the public is essential.


Make available to young people an opportunity to play the sport by building courts and starting leagues for all ages. People will know by instinct if they are attracted toward the activity. There are a many ways to participate in a sport without playing – coaching, refereeing, organizing events, etc.


Any parallels on cricket in India and basketball in the US from an ecosystem point of view?

 
Exposure to cricket in India begins at a young age just as basketball exposure happens in America. The mental attachment to any sport is strongest if it starts at young age. I would venture to guess that there is a 99 percent developmental similarity between the two sports in terms of league organization, early introduction and the need for athletic/physical prowess to participate, though the playing facilities for the two sports vary significantly. I would also say that cricket has a decade-long head start on basketball in India, as you know.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/bookstrapping-in-a-conversation-with-scaling-mount-upscs-author-sajjan-yadav-62634.htm">Bookstrapping: In a conversation with Scaling Mount UPSC's author Sajjan Yadav</a> 

 
In your summer basketball days, did you ever have to tell a young athlete- that they're not good enough?</stron


I have never once told a single young or aspiring athlete that they weren’t good enough. If you love anything in life, you’ll find an opening to participate at the level you feel most comfortable. Even those who love the sport but never succeeded as a professional or star player have found other opportunies within the game, in positions like coaching, sponsoring teams or joining companies like Adidas and Nike – still in sports, but in alternate capacities. In general, though, almost all players self-identify their relative performance capabilities in competition with their peers.
 

Have you ever come across a talent from India, in basketball, that you wished to promote?


While over the years, I have come across a fair number of young players from such countries as China, Italy, Australia etc., I must say that India was completely off my radar during those years. I had only thought of India as a nation with renowned Cricket and Soccer/Football players. Someone had mentioned field hockey once, but I am not familiar with that sport. Thus, I’m afraid I wasn’t aware of any emerging basketball talent from the subcontinent.

 
Any reason basketball hasn't taken off in a really large sports market like India? 


I’m guessing the reason may be related to the former British Imperial Empire and the two sports which migrated to India from Britain. With a cultural affinity for football/soccer and cricket and to a lesser degree rugby, there was simply no origin point or basis of interest in India for the America-grown sport of basketball. 


Until recently, basketball has been absent from India’s sports scene and consciousness. Just as soccer took many decades to take root and grow in popularity in America, basketball, while growing in popularity in India will take time to develop a fan base and reach critical mass (televised or broadcast games at the high school, collegiate and professional levels) in India. It’s simplicity and low equipment requirements, however, mean that it can grow quickly once it “catches on.”

 
Any message to young basketball players in India?

Basketball is an interesting game - you can play it by yourself – one on one – or five on five. Put a hoop up near a smooth surface, dribble the ball, passing the ball, playing defense, shooting and developing your “moves” and scoring skills. It’s infectious, challenging and very competitive fun. It’s also easy to understand and follow because its limited to a small space, a 94’ x 50’ court and a simple scoring system. The internet and television have exposed Indian culture to the NBA and American college basketball, so the sport is not unknown. 


AI informs me that basketball is not in the top 4 sports in India. Even a groundswell effort to install basketball backboards with hoops at local playgrounds would begin to help establish the sport in neighborhoods. I got connected to basketball in an improbable way. Players in India may find the same attraction for the game very quickly once they begin to see how fast moving and enjoyable, even a one-on-one game can be.

 
Sports marketing, much like basketball, clearly is a game of passion. 


Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ Asia's first reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta.

Basketball will take time to develop fan base in India: Sonny Vaccaro, sports marketing expert

Ahead of 21st April, National Civil Services Day, which commemorates the day when the first Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers in 1947 we review ‘Scaling Mount UPSC.’ The book is written by Sajjan Yadav, Additional Secretary, Department of Expenditure, MoF.

 
To become an IAS officer, the pre-requisite is to crack one of the world's most competitive and arduous exams! Almost a million people attempt this in three stages: the prelims, the mains, and the interviews where as the success rate is less than one percent. This coveted position is a road in to the governance system of the country. The IAS have famously been considered the framework of Indian governance. Sajjan Yadav recounts not only his own story but highlights unique journeys of seven aspirants who made it. 


Our five Bookstrapping insights, from a conversation with Sajjan Yadav are as follows:

 
1. The range of UPSC success stories include; a visually impaired girl, the son of a beekeeper from Kashmir, an economically challenged 21 year old who had just got rejected by both IIT and NDA, a mother of a 2 year old, the ward of a servant to an IAS officer and lastly, a privileged US based IITian, who chose to give up a cushy job and pursue the UPSC.


2. People are known to move their cities to prepare for IAS. “I cleared my exams in the pre-internet days. I was from Hisar, Haryana and I went to Jawahar Book Depot and asked for the IAS books. That’s all. Today, the internet is making it easier, but people who want to join a preparatory course, often move cities,” Yadav notes.


3. Its not just clearing the exam. “There is a two year training program after you clear the UPSC exam at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration,” explains Yadav. “It is a rigorous course, which includes not just classroom training but also a Bharat Darshan themed study tour and attachments to various national service organizations such as the military, public sector, private sector, NGOs etc.”


4. So what’s the profile of each batch, we asked. “A majority of the children of IAS officers do not want to become IAS officers. The long hours, sudden transfers, demands of the job are a major challenge. Hence, a majority of those who clear the exams are from non-IAS backgrounds. Even today, the IAS service is a major attraction for children from poor backgrounds. Women may also be under-represented in a sense,” Yadav adds.


5. The first few years are tough. Family takes a backseat. “The first 15 years of service, I would say, are tough. You have to be passionate about service itself,” cautions Yadav. In the long term, its more than worth it.


This is Yadav’s second book. He’s a learning-ogre of sorts, having finished his Doctorate in Public Health from London and then came up with his first book ‘India’s Vaccine story.’ “I am very fortunate and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My boss supports my desire to learn,” sums up Yadav.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/bookstrapping-t-j-powers-the-dose-effect-62163.htm">Bookstrapping: T.J. Power's "The Dose Effect"</a> 


Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ Asia's first reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta.

Bookstrapping: In a conversation with Scaling Mount UPSC's author Sajjan Yadav

T.J. Power's "The Dose Effect" weaves a compelling narrative around the delicate balance of brain chemistry.
 
There have been titles such as "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge, which explores the remarkable plasticity of the human brain and its capacity for rewiring itself through experience and therapy, "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman, which implicitly underscores the role of underlying neural processes in shaping our judgments and decisions and "Dopamine Nation" by Anna Lembke that delves into the neurobiological underpinnings of pleasure and pain.
 
But T J Power’s book is a visual experience. Here are our five Bookstrapping insights.

1. The discovery of hormones, key players in the broader spectrum of body and brain chemistry, was a gradual process. Ancient physicians recognized the influence of certain organs on behavior, but the concept of specific chemical messengers traveling through the bloodstream emerged much later. T J Power delves into oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin and endorphins in detail.


2. In an interesting supposition, Power puts hunter gatherers into the modern environment. It is evident why our dopamine level drops due to access to sugar, oxytocin level falls because of phones and social media, serotonin levels falls because of no exposure to sunlight and endorphin levels fall due to sedentary lifestyles. He also shares his personal story which makes it more engaging.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/bookstrapping-commercial-books-the-not-so-literary-cousins-of-highbrow-literature-48984.htm">Bookstrapping: Commercial books - the ‘not so literary’ cousins of highbrow literature</a> 


3. The author highlights that our brain is a survival expert. Therefore, understanding brain chemistry is the key. It empowers us to comprehend the biological basis of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This knowledge can lead to more effective treatments for mental health disorders and foster a greater appreciation for the intricate and delicate balance that governs our inner world.


4. Reading this book reminds us that recognizing the power of neuro-chemicals allows for more informed discussions about the ethical implications of manipulating these systems and encourages a more compassionate and scientifically grounded approach to understanding the human condition.


5. Making deep social connections, exercise, eating healthy, reading books and having a purpose are the natural forms of happiness, says TJ Power.


TJ Power has a Masters in psychology and runs the DOSE Lab. He also runs Neurify, a health and performance training company. In the book he offers techniques to stack your doses and improve your effectiveness. Its written for the young consumer- and TJ uses his understanding of neuroscience in the layout of the book to begin itself and the structuring of his chapters. 


Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ Asia's first reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta.

Bookstrapping: T.J. Power's "The Dose Effect"

How groundbreaking was Nalanda, really?

 
Of all the reasons that a place of learning might achieve prominence, location is NOT the first one that comes to mind! But Nalanda situated near the Magadha capital of Rajagriha, had this massive advantage, stresses author Abhay K in his book, Nalanda: How It Changed The World.

 
The location was blessed by the great Gautama Buddha who visited Rajagriha, spent time at the Pandava Hills, begged for alms in its streets and meditated there. He also gave some of his most important sermons there. Naturally many disciples of the Buddha emanated from Rajagriha making the place known for its scholarly culture and giving Buddhism wings. And yet, Buddhism died a natural death in India over time, losing out to Brahminism. Curiously enough, other than history buffs, here’s a book every marketer must read; to understand the age old principle -‘differentiate or die!’


Here are our five Bookstrapping insights:


1. Nalanda was never a university built with a blue print. It was initially a stupa in honour of Sariputra, the scholar. Then it became a Vihara for Buddhist monks and finally it evolved into a University (Mahavihara) in the 5th century of the common era. Even after this, monasteries and temples and libraries kept getting added and Nalanda became the seat of great scholars across myriad disciplines. Wow!


2. Talking about his journey to write this book, “Writing Nalanda was like the flow of a river,” says author Abhay K. “When a river starts from the mountains, its currents carry immense force, and along the way the river gathers a lot of material and meanders here and there and then flows calmly before merging into the ocean.”


3. The idea of a ‘university' in the modern sense is recognized as having arrived in the European world via the Arabs; but where did the latter get it from? Archaeologists believe that the medieval Central Asian Islamic colleges called the Madrasas are nothing but an Islamicized form of central Asian Buddhist colleges called the Vihara. The square-rectangular courtyard structure of the Buddhist viharas is considered to have inspired the courtyard structure of colleges and universities across the world, including Oxford and Cambridge.


4. Aryabhatta was one of many greats who studied at Nalanda. This is the man who assigned a place to zero and calculated the exact length of the solar year, a thousand years before Copernicus and Galileo. The scholars at Nalanda also had a profound influence on China - with the celebrated Xuangxang and Yijing leaving written evidences of Nalanda’s glory. Author Abhay K remarks that other countries where translated Buddhist works from the Nalanda period are found are Bhutan, Nepal, Japan, Mongolia, Siberia, Kalmykia and Tibet.


5. The author offers a good range of explanations for Nalanda’s decline - foreign invasions, the resurgence of Brahminism and the decline of patronage to Buddhism.


Abhay K is a poet. His prose is disarmingly simple. And its simplicity is his gift to this present generation. But its Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s quote that delivers the final blow, “When the Brahminical faith inculcated universal love and and devotion to God, proclaiming Buddha to be an avatar of Vishnu, the death knell of Buddhism in India was sounded.”


Differentiate or die?

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/bookstrapping-the-paradox-of-surging-authors-and-dwindling-readers-60851.htm">Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ Asia's first reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta.</a>

Bookstrapping - Nalanda: How It Changed The World by Abhay K

The curious paradox of the author boom amidst declining readership raises several critical questions. While the ease of publishing has led to a proliferation of books, the attention economy remains fiercely competitive. Competing with countless digital distractions, traditional reading habits are getting reshaped. Over the last decade or so, the very definition of who is an 'author' is shifting shape. Oddly enough, this may be good news for book lovers. 


Here are our five Bookstrapping insights -


1. The ease of publishing and shifting publisher roles is here to stay. Self-publishing platforms, such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, and IngramSpark, have democratized the publishing process. The publisher as gatekeeper has switched to modern publishers as enablers, empowering individuals to share their stories. 


Anyone with a manuscript and internet access can become a published author. The desire to tell stories, share knowledge, and leave a lasting legacy remains a powerful motivator. Qualitative aspects remain a powerful albeit subjective tea-time conversation. BUT every author who pushes to be read, expands the conversation around books.


2. Books are not just a business by themselves; but also a means to build a business. Many books are written with a view to creating personal brands and conduits to business; these are marketed heavily in non-traditional modes as well. Other books are about organizations wanting to document their histories for posterity. The value of these books - to the stakeholders - is beyond the MRP of the book. These books become corporate giveaways and training tools. 


3. For many, writing a book is a personal accomplishment, regardless of commercial success. Self-publishing also provides an opportunity for self-indulgence; like getting your own portrait painted. However, there's more to this trend; as more and more niche audiences thrive online, creating dedicated communities around specific genres and topics, the era of the million-copy bestseller has made room for the small quaint book that touches your heart. Friends and family who would never have otherwise picked up a book; become readers. 


4. In contrast to the clutch of bestselling authors who are global names, there are several regional success stories. Digital marketing tools, including social media, email marketing, and online advertising, have provided authors with direct channels to reach their target audiences. Communities where reading is celebrated with an element of added motivation, become powerful enablers. 


5. Readers are book hopping too. The rise of audiobooks and e-books have provided alternative consumption methods, catering to evolving reader preferences. People are listening to books and switching between titles on Kindle; getting into specific chapters and out of them - rather than reading a book cover to cover. 

 
So how does one reach a consensus on a serious author and a valuable book? A few trends emerge; English-language books, particularly those from the US and UK, enjoy significant global popularity and are widely exported. There is also a balanced distribution of authors by gender; except in genres, like romance and young adult fiction, which tend to be dominated by female authors. 


Books in other languages, particularly those from culturally rich regions like Latin America and Europe, are gaining traction now through translation and increased international exposure. Every author is contributing to building a reading culture, even if it is to promote their own book.


Let the movement prevail! And lets allow democracy to shape this new future. Its infinitely better than a world without books!


Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ Asia's first reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta.

Bookstrapping: The Paradox of surging authors and dwindling readers

The stock markets have been in the news for a massive correction. In the first two months of 2025, Indian stocks lost $520 billion; higher than GDPs of Pakistan and Bangladesh!

 
With the markets seemingly limping towards recovery, we review Trillions by journalist Robin Wigglesworth, a somewhat historical book about why the creation of index funds (now popular!) was not an overnight success. The book personifies the quote, "all progress depends on the unreasonable man,” attributed to George Bernard Shaw.


Wigglesworth’s book traces the development of the idea that hedge funds and investors can never do better than an index fund in the long run. It is just a question of minimizing costs. Warren Buffet famously bet on this and won!


Despite this, trying to beat markets is part of human nature. People want to do something active with their money instead of being passive. However, ‘passive investing’ has become the bedrock of finance today. Very few investors understand where and how this practice emerged- so anyone who wants to understand modern investing will do well to read this book.


The book features names that investors are not familiar with- for eg; Louis Bachelier, the French mathematician whose early-20th-century work on the random walk laid the groundwork for index fund and mathematician Jimmie Savage, who discovered the work of Bachelier. This led to a study of the random nature of stock prices.


Wigglesworth explains why the indexing revolution has saved investors, billions of dollars in fees and has shaken up the investment industry. It has also created a more democratized landscape - allowing small investors access to diversified portfolios previously available to institutional investors only.


He also raises provocative points about the pitfalls of indexing, most notably the inability of index funds to adapt to new economic or social conditions. The other aspect is the concentration of power in the hands of a few - thanks to the success of the index funds.


Summing up, the creation of index funds was an inconvenient truth. That’s why only a few smart, passionate outsiders who were looking for a way to apply the academic research they studied to real-world investing kept it alive. Isn’t this how all disruption happens?


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/why-ai-may-never-match-the-human-brain-59191.htm">Why AI may never match the human brain!</a>

Bookstrapping: Trillions by Robin Wigglesworth

We are in the middle of 'Brain Awareness week', a period from 10th to 16th March dedicated to increase public awareness about the brain and to celebrate the wonders of the mind and brain.


So, we look at one of the greatest books ever written, 'A brief history of intelligence' by Max Bennet. He talks about LUCA- the last universal common ancestor and how we evolved from a soup of molecules back then, to the present day. 


The book talks about five breakthroughs over time, that changed our brain forever. These are our #Bookstrapping insights. 


Breakthrough 1 - Learning was not the core function of the first ever brain that appeared roughly 600 mn years ago in a multicellular body. The brain was meant to help the body steer towards good and away from bad. This established the basis of movement and associative learning. 


Breakthrough 2 - This was the learning by doing phase in which we learnt through trial and error. Attributes like curiosity and pattern recognition appeared. The brain also grasped the concept of three dimensional space, enabling us to recognise where we were and remember the locations of things.


Breakthrough 3 - This is the phase where the brain learnt by imagining, thanks to the neocortex. Episodic memory emerged - which meant the ability to recall past events and use these to adjust behaviour. The motor cortex also evolved, allowing vertebrates to plan movement better. 


Breakthrough 4 - The social brain emerged. Now we were able to infer the intent and knowledge of others and acquire skills through observation. We also learnt to take an action now to satisfy a 'want' in the future!


Breakthrough 5 - Not only did we move from foraging fruit to eating meat, we also learnt to SPEAK! Thanks to the gift of language, ideas could now be perpetuated down generations! The brain became bigger and cooking emerged to give the brain the energy to grow larger! 


We have now taken these breakthroughs further by reading and writing, resulting in unprecedented progress! Our brains are so evolved now that we may create our own likeness! But this is easier said than done, considering that the present brain has been billions of years in the making! Can AI have its big moment without appreciating the last billion years of achingly slow progress?


Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ A reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta

Why AI may never match the human brain!

Women's voices in literature have not only created new categories, but also maintained a balanced narrative of the world we live in. On the one hand, translations from global languages to English are commanding their place in the sun.


In this category, several authors have done this convincingly. Let's mention the artistic Koreans! There's the famous Han Kang who wrote the sensitive ' Vegetarian' and the evocative Kim Ji Yoon who wrote the empathetic, humane 'Yeonnam-dong's Smiley Laundromat.'


The Italian writer of historical fiction - the elusive Elena Ferrante- Time magazines' pick of 100 influencers of 2016 is an important contributor to this genre. Ferrante is believed to be a pseudonym for Rome based Anita Raja and her four-book series called the Neapolitan Quartet has warmed hearts all over the world.


Closer home, India's Gitanjali Shree blazed a new trail with her Booker prize winning 'Tomb of Sand' originally written in Hindi. Much before her was Indira Goswami, one of the pre-eminent contemporary Assamese writers. Her eminently famous and thought provoking 'The Moth-Eaten Howdah of the Tusker' remains a placeholder for an entire generations' attitudes and limitations.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/bookstrapping-a-tribute-to-a-nobel-laureate-31935.htm">Bookstrapping: A tribute to a Nobel Laureate</a> 


Another school of contemporary women's literature is a STEM- based backdrop . For eg. author Ali Hazelwood, who has a PhD in neuroscience! Her latest book 'Deep End' features ' power exchanges' between its ambitious, romantic protagonists and is set in Stanford University.


There's also the idealistic fervour of Alexene Farol Follmouth- also known as Olivie Blake, who believes that fiction must have a purpose. M 'To allow yourself to be known is to allow yourself to be wounded," she writes in 'Januaries', a book which features 14 short fantasy based stories. One is about a magical bridge that appears every now and then and has its own caretaker who grants wishes. There is also a deliberation about marriage, which the author defines as 'taking a residency in an unfinished house with a very, very long hallway, such that you cannot see the end from where you stand, and you are only allowed to progress through one room at a time.'


Write to us about more thought-provoking women's voices in contemporary literature on reeta@reetaramamurthygupta.in


Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ A reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta

Bookstrapping: Damsels, distress and literary prowess

Over 60 literary festivals are organized across the country. None of them focus on celebrating India’s military history. And India ought to have more war stories than most countries, given how conflicts have shaped the nation's history.

 
Cmde Srikant B. Kesnur felt a compelling need to fill this gap! “We felt the need for a dedicated literature festival on Geopolitics, Military and Social Sciences,” he says.

 
The first such LitFest is being organized at the historic National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai and is being called the Max City VoW LitFest. Historian and army veteran Probal Dasgupta, who has helped curate the fest says, “Between 1914 and 1918, close to 1.5 million Indian soldiers participated in World War I but 74,000 of them did not come back—these are official figures. But we haven’t told their stories. In 1915, Indian soldiers registered the only Allied victory in the Gallipoli campaign. The irony is that Sikh, Punjabi and Gurkha troops who recorded the victory are forgotten. We don’t even have official histories of the 1962 (India-China) and 1971 (India-Pakistan) wars!

 
Author Sanjeev Sanyal of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council talks about a different kind of gap; the language gap. He says, “Indian literature is going through a big renaissance over the last ten years. Different kinds of topics ranging from history to geo-politics and fiction have proliferated. There is clearly a big pool of excellent writers in India now although a lot of the serious writing in non-fiction is concentrated in English. We need this to spread to Indian languages where modern non-fiction is still dependent on translations.”

 
The challenge with writing history is of course, that no two historians are likely to agree with each other. “Any television debate shows that we do not agree on what happened yesterday, so why do we expect historians to agree with happened 2000 years ago? What matters is that the different narratives are based on available evidence,” Sanyal adds.

 
This LitFest provides a platform away from Delhi for discussion on politics, policy, wars, geography and history. It also seeks to uncover India’s position in the world through the medium of literature. Mumbai-based author Vaibhav Purandare weighs in, “I see more writing emerging at the intersection of India and the world. My book ‘Hitler and India’ describes in detail Hitler’s hatred and contempt for India – a truth which has been kept from public view for decades. So much history is yet to be properly recorded and so much sense is yet to be made of India’s relation to the world - past and present.”


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/bookstrapping-of-sita-rama-dharma-and-love-56859.htm">Bookstrapping: Of Sita, Rama, Dharma and Love</a> 

 
The festival will also see former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant’s book, How India Scaled Mount G20, Air Vice Marshall Arjun Subramaniam’s Shooting Straight, Lt Gen Y.K. Joshi’s Who Dares Wins (a Vir Chakra awardee for his role in the Kargil War), and K.V. Ramesh’s Lights, Camera, War, being launched. 

 
Speaking about the need to mainstream ‘military’ literature, Probal Dasgupta adds, “The lens we use to view war stories needs to undergo change. Currently, they are viewed in isolation. Must we categorize these narratives of war, as separate from other stories about our society? After all, these stories are observations on societies in conflict, much like accounts of Hemingway, Sassoon and Wilfred Owen's works did for the west in the 20th century.”

 
An exciting weekend for Mumbai as 50 authors, 18 sessions and two iconic venues Kitabkhana and NGMA come together to celebrate this uniquely themed festival on 1st and 2nd of March. As a nation state, we are yet to take the reins, when it comes to storytelling about our own history. An opportunity for all passionate writers and historians, no less.


Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ Asia's first reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta.

BOOKSTRAPPING