Dateline Mumbai — The Max City VoW Literature Festival returns for its second edition on 28–29 March at the National Gallery of Modern Art and Homi Bhabha University in Mumbai, bringing together authors, scholars, policymakers, strategy and governance professionals to explore the theme “Between War and Peace: One World, Many Words.”
A unique literary festival, led by Dr Sanjeev Chopra Festival Director Valley of Words and Probal DasGupta of MaxCity and the team is expected to continue to highlight the role of public discussions on contemporary issues in a turbulent world that is tantalisingly poised with wars in Europe and West Asia. The theme for this year’s edition ‘One World, Many Words’ brings into focus the role of books and ideas in shaping the present and future.
In an era shaped by shifting geopolitical dynamics, India’s role on the world stage continues to grow. The festival aims to foster thoughtful dialogue around India’s choices in a complex global order. “In a fractious world what brings us together are books, ideas, conversations that help us understand the consequences of these conflicts and their genesis, besides expanding a shrinking space for embracing differing views,’ feels Probal DasGupta.
Dr Sanjeev Chopra reiterates, “One World, Many Words’ is such an apt description to describe the contemporary scenario – for words are also finding it difficult to keep up with the cataclysmic changes that the world is facing today.” He further added, “we need multiple descriptors to match the many perspectives that define both geopolitics and the domestic spaces today. At the Max City VoW Litfest, we have an eclectic range of views to understand how words make an attempt to understand the world.”
Over two days, the Literature festival will feature celebrated names such as TCA Raghavan, Amish Tripathi, Saurabh Mukherjea, Minhas Merchant, Luis Miranda, Tom Cooper and his book 88 Hours on Op Sindoor, Probal DasGupta and his recent book on General Sundarji, Sanjeev Chopra’s book on Lal Bahadur Shastri, Shinjini Kumar’s Busy Women, Jyotsna Mohan’s Pratap. Mangesh Sawant and Chaitanya Giri will also discuss their recent books. The two day fest includes women personalities Kiran Manral, Eika Banerjee, sailors Delna and Roopa, media veterans Sandeep Unnithan and Vaibhav Purandare, Commodore Srikant Kesnur and his maritime panels on Cholas and the oceans. “MaxCity VoW Litfest features themes and topics that shape our lives,” feels Kesnur.
The MaxCity Literature festival aims to provide opportunities for emerging writers to showcase new work and engage with the wider intellectual community. Besides, the festival aims to revive the culture of reading, books and critical thinking among the younger generation and hopes to take the festival to educational institutions, which explains the choice of venue at the Homi Bhabha University and the link with Mumbai University.
Event Dates: 28–29 March
Location: Mumbai, India
Venue: National Gallery of Modern Art & Homi Babha University.
