The Hindu Lit For Life returns to Chennai with books, ideas and debate

The Hindu Lit For Life, a two-day extravaganza connecting literature to the masses and travelling beyond books, will be held on January 17 and 18 at the Lady Andal School premises in Chennai.

“We have tried to ensure diversity of topics and authors,” says Dr. Nirmala Lakshman, Festival Director, Curator, and Chairperson of The Hindu Group. “We have also included sessions on the multiple issues that the world is confronting, such as the importance of the Constitution, of physical and mental health, and of journalism in a polarised world. Beyond just celebrities, Lit For Life provides space for people who have produced good work.”

This year, following the inauguration, former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud will talk about why the Constitution matters. Banu Mushtaq, winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize for short story collection Heart Lamp, and Kiran Desai, whose novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, will be talking about their works.

Other speakers include former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India Arvind Subramanian; British philosopher A.C. Grayling; Professor of South Asian Studies Devesh Kapur; diplomat and author Gopalkrishna Gandhi; and Carnatic musician and author T.M. Krishna.

The line-up also features Satoshi Yagisawa, author of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop; Megha Majumdar, winner of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for her debut novel A Burning; and Neige Sinno, whose award-winning book, Sad Tiger, addresses child sexual abuse.

Alongside international programming, the festival consistently foregrounds regional literature and translations. Speakers this year include Perumal Murugan, Appupen, Imayam, Manoranjan Byapari, and A.R. Venkatachalapathy. In a session focused on what it takes to publish award-winning books, Elizabeth Kuruvilla, Manasi Subramaniam, and Kanishka Gupta will share their insights.

“While we accept that we have to engage the audience’s attention with the arts and more, we still ensure that it is worthy and worthwhile. It is safe to say we never just descend into entertainment,” says Dr. Lakshman. The programme also features director Mari Selvaraj, chess legend Viswanathan Anand, and leading nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar. There will also be a theatrical reading of Dr. Lakshman’s book, The Tamils, directed by Prasanna Ramaswamy.

The festival also features a range of workshops on the sidelines, including sessions on reading and writing the Tamil-Brahmi and Vattelluttu scripts by retired senior epigraphist Dr. V. Vedachalam; on wholesome living by health and fitness coach Priti Chawla; on the secrets to getting rich by thought leader Rohit Sarin; on writing a play by playwright Gowri Ramnarayan; and an illustrated lecture by curator Sharan Apparao on the many lives of the lotus.

“The curation is a happy mix of discussions on new books published in the year, topics that have kept us engaged and argumentative, or those that have made us reflect deeply,” says Rachna Davidar, Festival Director of The Hindu Lit for life. “Also, we try to make it possible to talk about polarising subjects in a non-judgmental way. We would like to keep you entertained, make you think, and perhaps discover a new idea or a different way of seeing. That’s the kind of show we’d like to present at The Hindu Lit For Life.”

The presenting partner is the all new Kia Seltos. The event will be held in association with CHRIST University and NITTE University. The associate partners are Orchids The International School, Hindustan Group of Institutions, State Bank of India (SBI), IndianOil, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Akshayakalpa Organic, ICFAI Group and Chennai Port Authority. The education partner is SSVM Institutions, Coimbatore, the State partner is the Government of Sikkim and the tourism partner is Bihar Tourism. The regional partner is DBS Bank. The official timekeeping partner is Citizen Watches and the bookstore partner is Crossword.

Registration link to the festival: newsth.live/litforlife