Annotations from the Aisles: Festival Dispatches is our curated window into the conversations, curiosities, and colour of BlrLitFest. Written by an eclectic group of volunteer bloggers, these are first-hand accounts from sessions across the festival. From incisive author dialogues to panels on technology, culture, identity, and more, each capturing the moments that made this year’s gathering at Freedom Park come alive. Dive into these dispatches to relive ideas, insights, and the spirit of discovery that defined the 14th edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival.
There is something comforting about watching a room full of people pause their lives for the sake of stories. The session titled Long Live Short Story, moderated by Jahnavi Barua, brought together three writers who approach the form in entirely …
Has Chetan Bhagat really waxed?
“It hurts men wouldn’t know this, but it’s a painful job,” Chetan Bhagat joked while talking about the challenges he faced when One Indian Girl was published back in October 2016. Since the book was …
"Myth" comes from the Greek word "mythos," meaning a story that shapes moral codes and explores the human condition. Born through oral traditions, symbolism, and collective belief, myths quietly slip into our everyday lives—especially into what we eat, …
The session, “Not All Who Wander Are Lost: Exploring Identities,” featured a candid discussion with authors Kazim Ali, Rani Neutill, and Thammika Sangkeo moderated by Chaitanya Srivastava. The panellists openly explored their personal journeys and experiences concerning the shifting emotional, …
“Sleuth and the City” on Day 1 of the Bangalore Literature Festival 2025 brought crime fiction’s sharpest minds together for a conversation that moved far beyond murder, mystery, and deduction. Harini Nagendra, Rudraneil Sengupta, and Tanuj Solanki shared the stage …
“There is something grounding about clay — humble, elemental, timeless.”
Long before books or paper existed, clay held water, nourishment, ritual, and memory. A beautifully calming session unfolded around this very element, drawing us into the world of the ghatam, …
It was a cool noon at the Watchtower – the perfect setting for a vibrant conversation on truly ‘living’. The session started with a poser from Sanjana – Why should we live long?
Sujata spoke about resilience, being engaged with …
As the name says, The Circle of Life is a session where Sudha Murty spoke about how the book is a “recreation for her.”
The first session to begin at the Open Cell for the day had all the elements …
The session brought together four authors whose recent works explore the layered, intimate and often complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. On the panel were Krupa Ge for her book Burns Boy, Thammika Songkaeo for Stamford Hospital, Aishwarya …
The session Children, Literature, Fun brought the warm storytelling world of Sudha Murthy to the festival stage. Meera Venkatesan opened with the familiar invitation that many children love: “I will tell you a story narrated by Sudha Murthy. Are there …
News flash: Popular actor turned comedian turned actor flips the pages back in his debut book.
Originally a stand-up comic, Vir Das became a household name in India after his breakthrough role in the 2011 dark comedy film Delhi …
Manish Sabharwal opened the session titled “The Shape of Us as a Nation,” introducing a panel featuring Santosh Desai, Gazala Wahab, and Shefalee Vasudev. The panellist’s offered distinct perspectives on the nation’s character and evolution.
Defining the Nation’s Shape
Santosh …
Mental health conversations often begin with heaviness, but this session began with humour when the moderator broke the ice with a joke about his own weight before inviting us into a dialogue that was honest, expansive, and deeply grounding.
Aruna …
Rohini Nilenkani opened the session by setting a context on the state of men in India and globally. She mentioned that 90% of inmates in Indian jails are men, with approximately 70% not even under trial. She stated that young …
So, she killed him
Imagine walking into a literary session thinking it’s just another author talk, and then ten minutes in you’re already questioning politics, marriage, guilt, class, caste, gender, and life. That’s exactly what happened at the session on …
“It is an eerie feeling to be here,” said Prathibha as she started the conversation on a reflective note. The last time she had been to Freedom Park, she came to meet convicts in the jail, do a documentary, and …
