New Delhi: The Book Bakers, a well-known literary agency, is bringing its first ever online literature festival from 6 April onwards. A week-long affair, it will see a gathering of around 600 authors represented by the agency and will be spread across 91 sessions. It will be streamed live on the agency’s Facebook group from 10 a.m. to 9.20 p.m. daily.
According to Sanjeev Mathur, co-founder of the agency: “The idea was to give literature lovers a unique array of compelling sessions and fantastic authors during this period of lockdown, and we are happy with the enthusiasm everyone has shown.”
The lit fest will see participation from bestselling authors, Bollywood and cricketing celebrities, ISKCON preachers, motivational speakers, paranormal experts, business leaders, armed personnel, leading journalists, political analysts and decorated police officers.
“The best thing about the festival is that all genres possible have been covered. Having been represented by The Book Bakers for my forthcoming book, I am excited to be a part of this marathon literature festival,” says media personality, Vineet Malhotra, who will be a part of several sessions including on the emergence of sporting biographies and on the successful journey of the 1983 Cricket World Cup that will see him in conversation with Indian Women’s Cricket team’s head coach, W.V. Raman, former India speedster and actor, Salil Ankola, and sports anchor and author, Nikhil Naz.
Among others, ISKCON gurus Gauranga Prabhu and Vraja Bihari Das will connect with the audience while paranormal experts Jay Alani and Sarbajeet Mohanty will be in conversation with horror writer, Neil D’Silva. Crime novelists, Kulpreet Yadav and Manjiri Prabhu will be seen alongside Savdhaan India’s producer and host, Anirban Bhattacharya and Sushant Singh, respectively. Kiran-Nirvan, co-authoring the book version of Karan Johar’s forthcoming The Kargil Girl, will be caught in action along with top cops like Ajay Lamba and Aloke Lal. Chic lit lovers will have the opportunity to hear authors Shuchi Kalra, Aarti V. Raman, Sujata Parashar and Kiran Manral.
“I am elated to have witnessed the superlative growth of the agency over the years, and being part of this festival is like homecoming for me,” says author Suhail Mathur, who will be seen in sessions based on historical and mythological fiction.