Devendra Mewari discussed his autobiographical non-fiction work *Yayavar Ki Yaadein* with Sushil Upadhyay, returning to memories of his childhood, literary journeys, encounters with renowned litterateurs, deliberate effort to blend science and literature, and much more. In conversation with Someshwar Pandey about her translation of Samantha Harvey’s Booker-Prize winning novel *Orbital*, Kumari Rohini explained the choice behind retaining the English title in her Hindi edition as well as various other themes including global politics and community. From *Paandaan* author Mujtaba Khan with Anjum Sharma spoke of the joys of storytelling, the words we inherit, and differences of pronounciation.
In the fourth panel with Shailendra Kant discussing Navneet Neerav’s book for young adults, *Naach*, the author shared his understanding of social stereotypes, gender expectations, and issues of identity. To conclude the day in conversation with Sachin Chauhan, translator Suchita Mittal read an excerpt from *Daakini* (originally written by N. Hari Kumar) and shared her thoughts with the audience on the differences between traditional and contemporary society, especially regarding their perceptions of women.
Each session featured two students from Welham Girls’ School as interlocutors, and the young students hosted the event over both days. Students from Aasra, HimJyoti School, Purukul Youth Foundation, Welham Boys, Doon School etc were also in attendance, and asked insightful questions as part of the audience. Students had the opportunity to engage directly with the authors and have their books signed.
In the valedictory session, Lakshmi Shankar Bajpai highlighted the enduring contribution of literature, while Sudha Rani Pandey noted the contributions of Sanskrit to Hindi literature and commended all the authors on their books and contributions. Both also congratulated the organizers on the successful event.
Sanjeev Chopra commended the efforts of VoW and Welhams Team for putting together the Hindi Vertical for this tenth edition, Dasham, of the Valley of Words. Welham Girls’ Principal Vibha Kapoor described the event as a unique experience for the school and concluded the proceedings by expressing a desire to host the second edition of ‘Sahitya Spriha’ next year.
