Literature Live! Mumbai LitFest 2025 is back with an interesting line-up of speakers, events, discussions and more.
“There’s Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan and Booker Prize Winner Shehan Karunatilaka, both of whom will participate in the opening session that talks about truth, trust and testimony,” says festival co-director Amy Fernandes. International digital expert Christian Stocker will also be a part of the inaugural session.
“We have new stars on the horizon like Omar Musa and Sam Dalrymple. Shobhaa De launches her new book The Sensual Self,” she adds.
The inauguration of the festival will take place on November 7, 2025 at the Tata Theatre from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm.
Quasar Thakore Padamsee, festival co-director makes a special mention for established and loved authors like Jeet Thayil, Jerry Pinto, Paromita Vohra, Shashi Tharoor, Shobhaa De, along with rising talents like Omar Musa and Sam Dalrymple.
“There are new books being launched by Justice Chandrachud, Rahul Bhattacharya, as well as The Only City — original stories on Mumbai edited by Anindita Ghose,” adds Quasar.
Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud’s Why The Constitution Matters and Shashi Tharoor’s Our Living Constitution: A Concise Introduction And Commentary will be launched at the literary festival, followed by a discussion on the importance and enduring relevance of the Indian Constitution.
“There are performances, poetry sessions, and the Great Debate on India and China. Something for everyone, we believe,” he shares.
It is The Little Festival for children that’s expected to add charm and joy to the annually awaited literary event.
“This year, inclusivity, access, nature and environment, music and art have emerged through books and stories written for children by passionate crusaders of these. And as every year, celebrating storytellers marks our festival,” explains Amy. “The convenor of The Little Festival, Reena Agarwal, should take a bow at the line-up she has created.”
At The Little Festival, expect fun storytelling through dance, a nature trail, building character and compassion through children’s literature, stories about costumes and clothes, saving turtles’ homes and making pictures talk.
The highlight will be the The Zakir Hussain story, which “is not just the book about a boy who became a tabla legend, but also how we are presenting it— with a reading of his story and the tabla being played by Fazal Qureshi, his brother,” says Amy.
Other Highlights
Ode-O-Meter features poems from around the world will be held on November 8 at the Little Theatre from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Poetry in the Park, an open mic event is being hosted by Poets of Mumbai.
Jerry Pinto’s book A Good Life will be launched as actors Jim Sarbh and Soha Ali Khan will join the writer in a discussion on palliative care which will be chaired by Faye D’Souza.
Don’t miss the picnic with playwrights featuring Ashutosh Potdar, Kaizad Gherda, Shikha Talsania and Vinita Belani, where a poet, producer, and performer have a conversation about the secret sauce of Marathi theatre, experiences of touring with Peter Brook’s The Mahabharata, writing for oneself vs writing for others and a whole lot more.
Sam Dalrymple will converse with Dinyar Patel at the launch of his book Shattered Lands, and for budding crime fiction writers, there’s a workshop by Helene Flood.
Neil Bhoopalam joins Paromita Vohra as she launches Love Sex Aur India: The AOI Anthology which will be followed with stories of intimacy from across the country.
Amrita Mahale, Jane Borges and Pronoti Datta come together to celebrate women at The Shashi Baliga Memorial Session, and Shobhaa De’s conversation with Lillete Dubey centers around passion between the pages.
Visit their website www.litlive.in for the entire schedule, registration process and more details.