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
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