New York, Nov 12 (PTI) Chronicles from the 2025 Mahakumbh, rise of Indians in America, works of National Book Award finalist Megha Majumdar and renowned authors Amish Tripathi and Devdutt Pattanaik will take centre stage at a leading literary festival here that will celebrate Indian voices in world literature.
The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) will host the IAAC Literary Festival 2025 on November 15-16 bringing together a “constellation of acclaimed authors, thinkers, and storytellers from across the globe to explore South Asia’s rich literary and cultural landscape, from myth and mysticism to modern identity, innovation, and global citizenship”.
“Across borders and generations, Indian literature continues to redefine the global imagination. The IAAC Literary Festival is where those voices meet; bold, questioning, and alive with possibility. Voices that remind us that literature is not only art, but also the architecture of understanding,” IAAC Literary Festival Director Preethi Urs said in a statement.
The annual festival, “celebrating voices, vision and vital conversations in Indian literature”, will host a rich line-up of authors from India and across the world with discussions ranging from the Mahakumbh to Artificial Intelligence, culinary stories from India to the rise of Indians in America’s social and economic fabric.
A highlight of the festival is a talk by spiritual leader Sadhguru “on death not as an end, but as an essential aspect of life and a profound opportunity for transcendence”.
The discussion will be moderated by Grammy winning musician, prominent philanthropist and entrepreneur Chandrika Tandon.
Sadhguru will also unveil the book ‘Seeking the Infinite: Maha Kumbh 2025’ by global financial leader and thinker Yakub Mathew.
The book chronicles the spiritual journey undertaken by Mathew and his wife Shilpa, during the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
The festival will also feature Arjun Mahatta’s ‘Maha Kumbh: A Spiritual Odyssey’ that captures the historic Kumbh Mela with a “blend of artistry, archival depth, and personal insight, revealing the scale, devotion, and spectacle of one of the world’s largest religious gatherings”, the IAAC said.
Majumdar, author of ‘A Burning’, will discuss her new novel ‘A Guardian and a Thief’, which has already been named a finalist for the 2025 National Book Award for Fiction and was selected by television mogul Oprah Winfrey as her October 2025 Book Club pick.
Journalist and author Meenakshi Ahamed will discuss the ascent of Indian-Americans in fields from technology to medicine and policy through her work ‘Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America’, which highlights individual and community achievements while exploring the social and cultural factors behind this meteoric rise.
Pattanaik will discuss his latest work ‘Escape the Bakasura Trap’ in which he “revisits the myth of Bakasura, the demon whose insatiable hunger becomes a metaphor for greed and inner emptiness, offering a mirror to our modern struggles with excess and desire”, the IAAC said.
Another highlight of the festival will be Tripathi’s latest work ‘The Chola Tigers’. “India’s bestselling author returns with an epic new tale set in the Chola Empire — a sweeping saga of courage, leadership and destiny,” the IAAC said.
Pooja Bavishi will talk about her cookbook ‘Malai: Frozen Desserts Inspired by South Asian Flavors’ while designer and conservationist Sunita Kohli will share her second volume in her renowned Cuisine Trilogy, ‘The India Cookbook’, featuring regional recipes and stories collected from friends across India’s cultural and culinary map.
Founded by the Indo-American Arts Council, the IAAC Literary Festival is New York’s premier platform celebrating Indian voices in world literature.
It brings together established and emerging authors across genres and generations — fostering cross-cultural dialogue, creative discovery and community.
The 2025 edition continues IAAC’s mission to champion diversity, amplify under-represented voices, and spotlight Indian excellence on the global stage, the IAAC said. PTI YAS GSP GSP
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
