Books and Authors
Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest Returns for its 16th Year with a Stellar Lineup
This year’s festival boasts an extraordinary roster, including Shashi Tharoor, Jeet Thayil, Jimmy Wales, Shubhangi Swarup, Lillete Dubey, Omar Musa, and Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan. The lineup spans novelists, poets, journalists, historians, scientists, and cultural icons.
The city’s cultural calendar shines brighter this November as Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest returns for its 16th edition, presented by the Godrej Industries Group. From November 7 to 9, 2025, the NCPA at Nariman Point will once again transform into a hub of ideas, conversations, and creativity, welcoming over 100 renowned writers, thinkers, and performers from more than 10 countries.
Since its inception in 2009 by the late Anil Dharker, the Mumbai LitFest has been celebrated as the city’s only international literary festival, known for its inclusivity, innovation, and intellectual vibrancy.
Imtiaz Ali & Subhash Ghai at the Mumbai Literature Fest- LitLive 2024
A Stellar Line-Up of Voices
This year’s festival boasts an extraordinary roster, including Shashi Tharoor, Jeet Thayil, Jimmy Wales, Shubhangi Swarup, Lillete Dubey, Omar Musa, and Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan. The lineup spans novelists, poets, journalists, historians, scientists, and cultural icons.
Festival sessions will cover a wide range of subjects — fiction, poetry, philosophy, business, history, health, science, and the ever-persistent heartbeat of Mumbai itself.
Co-Director Amy Fernandes said, “Each year since 2009, the festival has shaped itself into an ever-evolving and exciting entity that the city has come to love. In its 16th year, the story only gets stronger.”
Mumbai Literature Fest- LitLive 2024
Festival Highlights
-
Awards & Recognition: Lifetime Achievement Award, Poet Laureate, and Literary Awards.
-
The Great Debate: A LitFest staple, bringing fiery discussions to the fore.
-
Workshops & Outreach: Campus initiatives and skill-building sessions for students.
-
Performances & Launches: Indoor and outdoor events, book launches, and artist showcases.
-
The Little Festival (Children’s Edition): Held in parallel on November 7–8, curated for young readers, supported by the H T Parekh Foundation, featuring the Binod Kanoria Awards for Children’s Literature.
A Legacy of Literary Greatness
Over the past 15 years, the festival has hosted global luminaries like Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh, Margaret Drabble, Jane Goodall, Ruskin Bond, Pico Iyer, Sudha Murty, Raghuram Rajan, and Javed Akhtar.
This year promises the same depth and diversity. Co-Director Quasar Thakore Padamsee noted:
“Engaging with contrasting thoughts and writing — fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama — from around the world is more crucial than ever today.”
View this post on Instagram
Nadir Godrej, Chairman & Managing Director, Godrej Industries Group, added “Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest is a Mumbai-grown, world-class international festival which has stood the test of time. We are very pleased to support its sixteenth year, bringing three enriching days for the city.”
Pingback: Two Giants of Indian Literature to be Honoured at Mumbai Litfest