NEW YORK, NY – November 02, 2022 – The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), the organization dedicated to celebrating and showcasing the arts in North America, announced today the lineup for its eighth annual Literary Festival on November 7-13, 2022, in New York. Notable speakers, making in-person appearances at the Caelum Gallery (526 W 26th St.) in NY’s renowned Chelsea neighborhood, include Padma Shri Barkha Dutt, Priya Kumari and Raza Mir. In continuation of its honored tradition, IAAC will also host a live Poetry Panel headlining Arundhathi Subramaniam and moderated by poetry curator, Dr. Ravi Shankar.

Prior to the in-person weekend events, there will be a series of online events hosted on Facebook and YouTube each evening starting November 7-11 at 6:30 p.m. ET, which will feature ten writers including Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi; London-based restaurateur and Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” star, Asma Khan with Michelin Chef Vikas Khanna - author of the world’s first “phygital” (physical and digital) cookbook; plus, actress, dancer and choreographer, Rukmini Vijayakumar. This series also includes a dedicated Children’s Literary Panel on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 which will showcase readings of “When Blackbirds Fly” by Hannah Lalhlanpuii and “Jamlo Walks” by Samina Mishra.

"IAAC's Literary Festival showcases writers who bring stories of the Indian experience and ethos to the world. Even as they set new standards of literary excellence, they excite our imagination and shape humanity's future through their thought leadership. The festival attendees will become part of extraordinary conversations. Supporting the festival will be a stellar group of moderators who themselves are literary luminaries. As always there will be a focus on first time regional translations, children's literature and poetry," said Rakesh Kaul, Vice Chairman, IAAC.

IAAC’s literary festival will be an intense two-day immersive experience featuring thought-provoking conversations, readings and discussions of stories told by courageous authors. Each of the 27 authors' skill and expertise cover a wide range of civilizational and cultural topics including archeology, design, dance, history, compassion, wonder and the culinary arts. A panel of four poets will showcase powerful word-play that will make imaginations soar and speak directly to hearts, young and old. Refreshments, breakfast and lunch will be served, wine and cheese will accompany the poetry session. The festival wraps on a high note with the Annual Gala on November 13th.

“At IAAC, we pride ourselves on our ability to seek out and find foundational storytellers who are not only noteworthy for their skill with language but whose seminal works also weave remarkable narratives that shape the world around them. This year is no exception; I have had the privilege to work with a dedicated team of literature lovers whose hard work and energy made this festival possible,” said Preethi Urs, Literary Festival Director, IAAC.

A full list of writers and featured works below. For the full schedule with dates, times and moderators, please visit IAAC.us.

Online Events (November 7-11): 
Kailash Satyarthi's greater body of work
Ammu: Indian Home Cooking to Nourish your Soul (Interlink Books, May 2022) by Asma Khan
Sacred Foods of India in NFT format (Akshaya, June 2022) by Vikas Khanna
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 100 Anecdotes (India Penguin, December 2022) by Arthy Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy
The Dalai Lama: Leadership and the Power of Compassion (Interlink Books, November 2022) by Ginger Chih which includes a forward by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama 
Finding Shiva: An Inner Journey of the Performative Experience (INDIC, 2021) by Rukmini Vijayakumar
Children’s Panel:
When Blackbirds Fly (Duckbill, February 2022) by Hannah Lalhlanpuii
Jamlo Walks (India Puffin, September 2021) by Samina Mishra
Somnath Hore: Wounds (Art1st, August 2021) conceptualized by Ritu Khoda, written by Likla Lall and featuring illustrator, Kripa

In-Person Events (November 12-13):
The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self (TarcherPerigee, September 2022) by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
Tata's Leadership Experiment: The Story of the Tata Administrative Service (HarperBusiness, August 2022) by Bharat Wakhlu, Mukund Rajan, Sonu Bhasin
TO HELL AND BACK: Humans of COVID (Juggernaut, February 2022) by Barkha Dutt
The Greatest Telugu Stories Ever Told (Rupa, March 2022) translated by Tamraparni Dasu and Dasu Krishnamoorty
A Country Called Childhood: A Memoir (Aleph Book Company, July 2022) by Deepti Naval
[Block] Chain Reaction - The Future of How We Live and Work (Soul Excellence Publishing, January 2022) by Elizebeth Varghese
Tomb of Sand: A Novel by Geetanjali Shree (Tilted Axis Press, August 2021), translated by Daisy Rockwell
Shehnai Virtuoso and Other Stories by Dhumketu (Deep Vellum Publishing, July 2022) translated by Jenny Bhatt
Rajaraja Chola: King of Kings (Aleph Book Company, November 2022) by Kamini Dandapani
Dava Shastri's Last Day (Grand Central Publishing, November 2021) by Kirthana Ramisetti
A Matter of Trust (HarperCollins India, July 2021) by Meenakshi Ahamed
The View from the Very Best House in Town (Walker Books US, February 2022) by Meera Trehan
The Soul Catcher (Bodes Well Publishing, September 2021) by Monica Bhide
Mirror Made of Rain (The Unnamed Press, May 2022) by Naheed Phiroze Patel
The Candid Life of Meena Dave (Lake Union Publishing, June 2022) by Namrata Patel
People of the Indus (India Penguin, November 2022) by Nikhil Gulati
Leaf Talks Peace - Buddha's Message of Harmony (Eternal Tree Books, May 2022) by Priya Kumari
Talent: The Market Cap Multiplier (Ideapress Publishing, January 2022) by Ram Charan and Anish Batlaw
Murder at the Mushaira: A Novel (Rupa Publications India, January 2021) by Raza Mir
Smashing the Patriarchy: A Guide for the 21st-Century Indian Woman (Rupa, November, 2021) by Sindhu Rajasekaran
KALA - Essays on Contemporary Design Aesthetics (Times Group Books, 2020) edited by Padma Shri Sunita Kohli
Somnath Hore: Wounds (Art1st, August 2021) conceptualized by Ritu Khoda, written by Likla Lall and featuring illustrator, Kripa

Notable International Poets:
Love Without a Story (Westland, April 2019) by Arundhathi Subramaniam
My Body Lives Like a Threat (Flowersong Press, January 2022) by Megha Sood
Time Regime (Gaudy Boy, March 2022) by Jhani Randhawa
Singing in the Dark (Vintage Books, October 2020) edited by Nishi Chawla and K Satchidanandan

For a complete calendar of events between on November 7-13, 2022, visit https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival-2022/

RSVP for both in-person and online events at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/iaac-literary-festival-2022-tickets-446199724387

Social Media for IAAC:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iaac.us 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7XldGWApKYy-IvQPapxFJg 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAArtsCouncil 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaacny
Hashtag: #IAACLitFest

For a full press kit including photos and posters: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DtbCXBSbA25yTQmf7vfMEWcdWFOGszA-?usp=sharing 

About Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC):
The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India.  We work cooperatively with colleagues around the U.S. to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law.  For information, please visit www.iaac.us.