Around Town: A literary rendezvous in Mumbai, as Tata Literature Live! returns with its on-ground events

Among the highlights, the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented to eminent playwright, essayist and professor Mahesh Elkunchwar, whose plays are notable for capturing the many transitions in post-Independence India, covering a range of scenarios from rural and urban settings. Fernandes described Elkunchwar as “an outstanding playwright who has influenced and inspired generations of writers, playwrights and readers. A professor of English who writes in Marathi, his multi-ranging proficiency across languages and professions is truly unique.” On November 12, Elkunchwar will speak on ‘Space and Time in Art’ at NCPA’s Little Theatre.

Poet and artist Gieve Patel will receive the Poet Laureate Award on November 12 and will be in conversation with poet Sampurna Chattarji.

Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest has also announced two new awards, the Rotary Writing For Peace Award and the Binod Kanoria Awards For Children’s Literature. “They both represent areas important to us at the Festival, and to society as a whole — one standing for peace and reconciliation and the other for inculcating the love of reading in children,” Fernandes said.

Like with previous editions, a line-up of international and national names will feature in this edition, including Geetanjali Shree, Tony Fadell, Naushad Forbes, Shashi Tharoor, Onir and Ashwin Sanghi.

Marking the festival’s return to its physical form, Mumbai will feature actively as a part of the programming, with various themes regarding the city — a new novel, coastal marine life, history and communities. Author Jerry Pinto’s new book, “The Education of Yuri” will be launched on November 12, followed by a conversation on the role of the city, particularly Mumbai, in a bildungsroman.

As part of two international collaborative sessions, with France and the UK, the festival will present two events. One is the Great Investigation, inspired by its sister activity in France and imagined by Indian author Kalpana Swaminathan, in which participants will have five hours to resolve the mystery of the theft of the Blue Sapphire. Another is a culmination of a poetry exchange, led by The Queer Muslim Project and VERVE Poetry Festival, exploring the relationship between language and queerness.