Kolkata, January 13, 2025: The second day of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival proved to be an enriching experience, with a line-up of celebrated authors, thinkers, and artists from across the world. Anand Neelakantan kicked off the day with a thought-provoking discussion on “Many Ramayanas, Many Lessons,” exploring the different versions of the Ramayana across cultures and emphasizing a tradition of plurality. The session also featured the book launch by Chief Guest MK Raina. Aparna Vaidik delved into the lives of iconic revolutionaries with “Freedom or Death,” a session that honored martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, while Prasun Roy brought to light the inspiring story of Rashbehari Bose. The session was moderated by Sudeep Chakravarti.
Ruchir Joshi’s “First Look” saw the reveal of his long-awaited novel, Great Eastern Hotel, set in the Calcutta of the 1940s. In a conversation with Anjum Katyal, Joshi discussed his novel and its historical significance. The “Insider/Outsider” session explored complex issues of belonging, spanning across regions, caste, religion, and community. Samrat Choudhury, Preeti Gill, Nusrat F Jafri, and Vikas Jha engaged in a reflective discussion, moderated by Jael Silliman.
In “Gritty City,” Sudeep Chakravarti (author of Fallen City) and Prayaag Akbar (author of Mother India) explored the hidden facets of India’s Capital, moderated by Samrat Choudhury. Rajdeep Sardesai took center stage in “For the People, By the People,” where he discussed the impact of elections and their outcomes, joined by journalist Monideepa Banerjie.
“Pink Ink” brought together leading women in media, including Neha Dixit, and Monideepa Banerjie. The session, moderated by Sandip Roy, examined the role of women in making a difference in the media landscape. In “Papa Don’t Preach,” Akhil Katyal, Sandip Roy, Nusrat F Jafri, and Neha Dixit engaged in a poignant discussion on dealing with patriarchy in daily life. Paromita Chakravarti moderated this important conversation.
At “Crosswinds,” poet Anupama Raju engaged in a discussion on the impact of French art and literature on her work with scholar Chinmoy Guha. This session was co-presented with Alliance Française du Bengale. Finally, Mani Shankar Aiyar discussed his memoirs in “A Maverick in Politics,” in conversation with historian Rudrangshu Mukherjee, offering an intimate look into his political journey.
The Poetry Café at Alliance Française du Bengale offered a unique opportunity for poetry enthusiasts to experience live performances and conversations with renowned poets. Anupama Raju and Zilka Joseph started the evening with evocative readings, followed by Akhil Katyal and Vinay Sharma. In the later hours, the stage was open for a diverse lineup of voices, including Nishi Pulugurtha, Tania Chakravertty, Gopal Lahiri, Saptaparna Roy, Aparna Singh, Rituparna Khan, Madhu Sriwastav, Madhumita Majumdar, Sanghita Sanyal, Sreetanwi Chakraborty, Anindita Bose, Rajorshi Patranabis, Sarbani Chakravarti, Priyanka Adhikary, and Monica Louis. The event culminated with an open mic session, giving poetry buffs a chance to share their work.
The Oxford Junior Literary Festival at Oxford Bookstore, Park Street brought an engaging lineup for young minds. Storytime with Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan invited children from classes 2-5 to explore storytelling in an interactive session. Making Magic with Satabdi Das and Nadia Imam offered a delightful take on creating imaginative worlds. Topsy-Turvey and Once Upon the Queens explored gender-upturned folk tales of Bengal, engaging students from classes 6-8 in thought-provoking conversation about folklore and identity.
The three-day festival enjoys the support of esteemed partners – Kenilworth Hotel, as the Hospitality Partner; Cha Bar for Refreshments; Calcutta Business School, ILead and Teacher’s Centre as the Institutional Partners; and Glenburn Penthouse and Alliance Française du Bengale as Festival Collaborators along with The Park as the Festival Partner and Flurys as Gifting Partner. Additionally, 91.9 Friends FM serves as the Radio Partner. The event will feature contributions from numerous prominent publishing houses, fostering a collaborative and lively literary ambiance. To name a few- Aleph Book Company, Bloomsbury, Hachette, HarperCollins, Harvard University Press, Jadavpur University Press, Juggernaut, Niyogi Books, Penguin Random House, Readomania, Routledge, Rupa Publications, Speaking Tiger, Vitasta Publishing, Westland Books, and many others.