Chandigarh Welcomes Spring Edition of Literati 2024 – ‘A Confluence of Creativity’

Chandigarh, March 7, 2024: The Chandigarh Literary Society (CLS) announced another literary treat for the Tricity its Spring Edition of Literati 2024 on Saturday, 16 March at the U.T. State Guest House, Chandigarh.
Dr. Sumita Misra, Chairperson, Chandigarh Literary Society (CLS) said that in tune with the overarching theme of creativity, the Spring edition of Literati Litfest, a one-day event would be an eclectic gala affair packed with intellectually stimulating and creatively vibrant sessions.
The event will witness the participation of more than a dozen distinguished speakers and top-shelf writers’ pan-India. The Fest will be abuzz with sessions on kaleidoscopic themes like history, fiction, sports, poetry, translation, music and more.
Sharmistha Mukherjee, the highly talented daughter of the late President of India, Pranab Mukherjee will be one of the leading luminaries at the Spring Fest. She has unabashedly followed her heart from performing as a dancer for 30 years, to being a politician. Her book Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers (2024) has been much talked about and sheds important light on modern India’s history & politics.
Ajay Bisaria, a renowned diplomat who served as the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan from 2017 to 2020 and a key aide to Prime Minister Vajpayee from 1999 to 2004, has authored Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and Pakistan (2024). He will give eye-opening and gripping detail about the conflict and tension that have characterized the connection between India and Pakistan while the author was India's top diplomat in Pakistan.
A former Indian Foreign Officer, Ms. Lakshmi Puri will talk about her debut novel ‘Swallowing the Sun’ which has been earning widespread critical acclaim. She has been at the forefront of ensuring gender equality, has been a leader of the first global organization to promote gender equality — UNWOMEN, for seven foundational years, and has held many leadership positions at the United Nations.
For the poetry lovers, the Fest will hold an interactive session with Mr. Amitabha Bagchi, a DSC Prize winner for South Asian Literature in 2019. He has translated the ghazals of Muneer Niazi from Urdu to English under the title Lost Paradise (Juggernaut 2022). To complement Mr. Bagchi, Ms. Nirupama Dutt, a poet, columnist and translator of Gulzar’s anthology of poetry, Pluto, will be on panel with him.
A distinguished communications consultant, Jairam N. Menon will also talk about his book ‘Masala Chai For The Soul’. He has explored his multifaceted interests in journalism, advertising and corporate communications. The seeds of his book were sown in a column he used to write for the in-house magazine of a leading engineering and construction company, and these soon found favour with the readers.
Sakoon Singh, author of In the Land of Lovers and Gurpartap Khairah, author of How Dinkar lost his job and found a life will be sharing their thoughts on their creative journeys. The event will also feature Mr. Mukul Kumar, a senior bureaucrat and an author by passion, who will delve into the process of his creative outpourings, with a special focus on his latest novel Lost in the Love Maze (2023).
In sync with its focus on creating and achieving a confluence of different forms of creativity, there will also be an interesting discussion on Sports with Gaurav Gala. Gaurav Gala’s book Awakening the Blue Tigers: India’s Quest for Football’s Holy Grail (2022) deals with concerns surrounding the development and ecosystem of football in India, and veterans of the sports industry. In addition, an accomplished author, Priyam Gandhi who has written three political non-fiction books will discuss her work.  Together, they will be leading an interesting discussion on the nuances of sporting and politics. 
Literati is a non-aligned, not for profit festival that is open to all and aims to encourage young minds to read and participate.