Times LitFest
Speakers
Abhirup Dhar
Abhirup Dhar is the author of the 'Hold That Breath' series, 'The
Ajay Chopra
Chef Ajay Chopra is an Indian chef, food creator, restaurant consultant, and
Akshaya Mukul
Akshaya Mukul is an author and independent researcher. His first book 'Gita
Amish
Amish is a diplomat, author and columnist. He took over as the
Anand Neelakantan
Anand Neelakantan is the author of the Bahubali trilogy, the official prequel
Anindita Ghose
Anindita Ghose is a writer and journalist based in Mumbai. She was
Anita nair
Anita Nair is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of the novels
Anitha Murthy
Anitha Murthy is a software consultant by profession and loves to write.
Anuja Chandramouli
Anuja Chandramouli is a best-selling author, new age classicist, TEDx speaker, book
Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is an Indian actor and the former Chairman of Film
Apeksha Rao
Apeksha Rao is a homoeopath-turned-writer from Bengaluru. She is the author of
Archana Garodia Gupta
Archana Garodia Gupta wears many hats – author, campaigner for women’s empowerment,
Archana Sharma
Archana Sharma is as a Freelance Writer and Translator with an acumen
Arjun Raj Gaind
Arjun Raj Gaind is the author of ‘A Very Pukka Murder’, ‘Death
Arjun Subramaniam
Air Vice Marshal (Dr) Arjun Subramaniam is a retired fighter pilot from
Ashwin Sanghi
Ashwin Sanghi ranks amongst India’s highest selling English fiction authors. He has
Avijit Ghosh
Avijit Ghosh is an associate editor with The Times of India. He
Beth Reekles
Beth Reekles is a Welsh author of young adult fiction. When Reekles
Bhavna Roy
Bhavna Roy was educated in Mussoorie, Pune and Mumbai. After graduating in
Bilal Siddiqi
Bilal Siddiqi is a novelist and screenwriter based in Mumbai. He is
Chetan Bhagat
Chetan Bhagat is the author of ten bestselling novels, which have sold
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning and bestselling author, poet, activist and
Clare Mackintosh
With more than two million copies of her books sold worldwide, number
Deborah Moggach
Deborah Moggach is an English novelist and screenwriter. She has written twenty
Devapriya Roy
Devapriya Roy is the author of three best-selling novels - 'The Vague
Devdutt Pattanaik
Devdutt Pattanaik is an author, speaker, illustrator, mythologist. He has written over
Douglas Stuart
Douglas Stuart was born and raised in Glasgow. After graduating from the
Dr Mukta Bhargava
Ms. Mukta Bhargava is AVP Quality at DS Group Catch Spices.
As head
Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan
Winner of the 'Best Blog in India for Creative Writing' in 2014
Dr Shashi Tharoor
Dr Shashi Tharoor is a Member of Parliament representing Thiruvananthapuram, and Chairman
Ekta Kapoor
Ekta Kapoor is an Indian television producer, film producer and director, and
Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak is a Turkish-British novelist, essayist, academic, public speaker, political scientist
Gaur Gopal Das
Gaur Gopal Das is an Indian lifestyle coach, motivational speaker and former
Gauri Sinh
Gauri Sinh is the former Editor of several prestigious publications, among them
Ghee Bowman
Ghee Bowman is a historian, teacher and storyteller based in Exeter, England.
Gulshan Grover
Gulshan Grover has acted in over 400 films in India and around
Guy Raz
Guy Raz is the host, co-creator, and editorial director of three NPR
Harshali Singh
Harshali Singh is a New Delhi-based author. She has completed her tenure
Ira Mukhoty
Ira Mukhoty is the author of many books, 'Akbar: The Great Mughal'
Jairam Ramesh
Jairam Ramesh, a Rajya Sabha MP, was Union minister between 2006 and
Jayanandan Bhaskar
Chef Jayanandan Bhaskar is the 1st Runner up of Masterchef India Season
Jeffrey Archer
Now published in 97 countries and more than 33 languages, Jeffrey Archer
John Zubrzycki
John Zubrzycki is an award-winning journalist and acclaimed author specializing in South
Jyotirmaya Sharma
Jyotirmaya Sharma is professor of political science at the University of Hyderabad,
Jyotsna Mohan
Jyotsna Mohan is the author of the best seller 'Stoned, Shamed, Depressed
K Hari Kumar
K Hari Kumar, a.k.a. ‘Horror Kumar’, is an Indian screenwriter and bestselling
Kabir Bedi
Kabir Bedi’s career has spanned three continents in three mediums - film,
Kanchana Banerjee
Kanchana Banerjee loves the thriller genre to core. She is the author
Kanishka Gupta
Kanishka Gupta is a literary agent , writer and publishing commentator best
Kevin Barry
Kevin Barry is the author of three novels and two other short
Kiran Manral
Kiran Manral is a writer, novelist and author based in Mumbai. She
Kishwar Desai
\"Kishwar Desai is an Indian author and columnist. She is also chair
Kjell Ola Dahl
Kjell Ola Dahl is an award-winning and acclaimed author of crime fiction,
Ma Anand Sheela
Ma Anand Sheela, or Sheela Bernstiel, managed the Rajneesh commune and the
Madhavi Mahadevan
Madhavi has been a bookseller, an editor and an advertising copywriter among
Madhuri Banerjee
Madhuri Banerjee is the author of 9 best-selling books, has written hundreds
Manimugdha Sharma
Manjari Chandra
Manjari Chandra is a Functional Nutritionist and a Wellness Coach, Speaker, and
Manju Kapur
Manju Kapur is the author of many novels. Her first, 'Difficult Daughters',
Manoshi Bhattacharya
Manoshi Bhattacharya, who began her medical career in the Indian Navy, is
Meena Kandasamy
\"Meena Kandasamy is a poet, fiction writer, translator and activist. She has
Meghna Pant
Meghna Pant is an award-winning author, screenwriter, journalist and speaker. She’s been
Nadia Hashimi
Nadia Hashimi is a pediatrician, novelist, and a former Democratic congressional candidate
Nandini Sen Gupta
Nandini Sen Gupta is a Pondicherry based journalist and writer of historical
Nandini Sen Mehra
Nandini Sen Mehra graduated in English Literature from Loreto College, Kolkata. She
Natasha Badhwar
Natasha Badhwar is an independent film-maker, columnist and author of the popular
Naveen Kishore
Naveen Kishore, head of Seagull Books, is known for the quality of
Neil D’Silva
With over a dozen books to his credit, Neil D’Silva is a
Nikita Singh
\"Nikita Singh is the bestselling author of eleven novels, including Every Time
P. Sivakami
\"P. Sivakami is an Indian Dalit-Feminist writer, former IAS officer and activist
Parizad Kolah Marshall
Parizad Kolah Marshall is a prolific model and television host that has
Paro Anand
Paro Anand is the author of books for children, young adults and
Pavan K. Varma
Diplomat-writer Pavan K. Varma is the author of several best-selling books including
Piyush Jha
Piyush Jha is an acclaimed film director and the author of bestselling
Pragya Sharma
Pragya is a graduate in Economics (Hns.), with a Master’s in Business
Prasenjit Mund
Prasenjit Mund is a Resident Editor with the Times of India in
Preeti Shenoy
Preeti Shenoy, among the top five highest selling authors in India, is
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is an Indian actress, singer, and film producer. She
Prof. Jonathan D. Quick
Jonathan D. Quick, is a family physician and public health management specialist
Purushottam Agrawal
Born in 1955, Purushottam Agrawal served as member of Union Public Service
Radhika Oberoi
Radhika Oberoi is the author of 'Stillborn Season', a novel-told-in-short-stories, set amidst
Rajiv Mehrotra
Rajiv Mehrotra is Secretary and Trustee of The Foundation for Universal Responsibility
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra occupies a reverent mihrab of his own in the
Rana Safvi
Rana Safvi is a passionate believer in India's Ganga jamuni tehzeeb (syncretic
Ravi Subramanian
Ravi Subramanian is a bestselling Indian author. A banker by profession, he
Ravinder Singh
He is considered as the King of Romance. Ravinder Singh is a
Rema Nagarajan
Rema Nagarajan is Editor-Research at the Times of India, Delhi. She writes
Ridhi Dogra
Ridhi Dogra is an Indian television actress known for her portrayal of
Rucha Chitrodia
Rucha Chitrodia, author of the recently published novel 'It's Also About Mynah',
Rutger Bregman
Rutger Bregman is a historian and author. He has published five books
Sadaf Hussain
Sadaf Hussain is an author, chef and food writer based in Delhi.
Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie is a British Indian novelist and essayist. His second novel,
Sarbpreet Singh
Sarbpreet Singh is a Boston based writer, podcaster and commentator. His newest
shaili chopra
Shaili Chopra is an Indian business journalist, author and entrepreneur. She is
Shannon Lee
Shannon Lee is an actress and businesswoman. Daughter of the late film
Shipra Khanna
Shipra Khanna’s alluring charm as a prolific chef, winner of MasterChef India
Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan
Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan is a children’s author, poet, translator, editor and voice-over
Shobhaa De
Shobhaa De is a widely read author and columnist. She is known
Shubnum Khan
Shubnum Khan is a South African author and artist. Her first novel,
Shylashri Shankar
Shylashri Shankar is a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research,
Sia Gupta
Sia Gupta is currently aged 13 and studying in grade 8 in
Siddharth Nirwan
Siddharth Nirwan is an ENT surgeon and a Horror author. He has
Sidhartha Mallya
\"Sidhartha Mallya is an American-born, British-raised actor of Indian descent. He was
Sinéad Gleeson
Sinéad Gleeson is an Irish Book Award-winning writer, editor and freelance broadcaster.
Srijana Mitra Das
Srijana Mitra Das is Editor, Times Evoke and ET Evoke. Srijana read
Sudeep Nagarkar
Sudeep Nagarkar has authored 14 bestselling novels and is the recipient of
Sudha Murty
Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon, north Karnataka. She did
Suneel Sinha
Suneel Sinha is a Senior Editor at Times of India.
Supriya Kelkar
Born and raised in the Midwest, Supriya Kelkar learned Hindi as a
Suresh Raina
Sutapa Basu
Sutapa Basu is the bestselling author of 'Padmavati', 'The Legend of Genghis
Suvir Saran
Viewing the kitchen as both a culinary and spiritual haven, New Delhi-born
Swati Daftuar
Swati Daftuar is the senior commissioning editor for popular fiction at HarperColllins
Tanushree Podder
Born at New Delhi, Tanushree worked in the corporate sector for eight
Tiffany Tavernier
Tiffany Tavernier is a novelist and screenwriter. She was born in 1967,
Tino de Sa
‘Tino de Sa’ is the nom-de-plume of Anthony de Sa. He is
Tom Holland
Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster. He is the
Vaibhav Purandare
Vaibhav Purandare is the author of 'Savarkar: The True Story of the
Venita Coelho
Venita Coelho is a storyteller who works with words, images and paint.
Vidhie Mukerjea
\"Vidhie was born in India and raised in Bristol. She graduated in
Vidya Mani
Vidya Mani is a children's writer and editor, who wears many hats.
Vikas Singh
Vikas Singh is Assistant Executive Editor of the Times of India. His
Vinay Sitapati
Vinay Sitapati is a political scientist, journalist, and lawyer. He is associate
Vinita Dawra Nangia
Vinita Dawra Nangia is a renowned Delhi-based author and columnist who is
Vir Sanghvi
Vir Sanghvi is a veteran journalist who was the editor of Hindustan