Pushpesh Pant
Professor Pushpesh Pant is a distinguished academic, food critic, and historian, with a career spanning over four decades. He studied History, International Relations, and Law in Nainital and Delhi, and later taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) for years. As a prolific writer, he has authored over fifty books on cuisine, culture, religion, and foreign policy in English and Hindi. Some of his works include the critically acclaimed "India: The Cookbook", which was nominated as one of the best cookbooks of the year by The New York Times in 2011. He has also been a regular contributor to various English and Hindi newspapers, periodicals, and has anchored TV programs and produced documentaries too. Pant's expertise in Indian cuisine and cultural heritage has been showcased on several platforms, including the critically acclaimed TV series "Raja, Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan". He was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2016 for his contributions to literature and education. His recent books include "Lazzatnama" and "From The King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi.
Amitabh Singh Baghel combines his passions for literature, photography, and cultural advocacy through various initiatives. As the founder and Chairperson of the Lekhni Foundation, he oversees diverse literary and artistic projects that foster creative expression and community engagement. In 2019, Amitabh founded the Aaghaz Poetry Movement, a platform dedicated to presenting and appreciating Urdu poetry for the global audience. Driven by a deep passion for Urdu literature, he has been advocating for its promotion, with a focus on making it more accessible. Recognizing the barriers that limit access to Urdu poetry, he has been a strong proponent of reading Urdu poetry in Devnagri script, catering to those who are unable to read the traditional Nastaliq script due to limited or no formal education in Urdu. As the Founding Festival Director of the Koshala Literature Festival, he has successfully built a vibrant literary platform from the ground up since 2022, fostering a communi...
Anshu Khanna is a well-known writer and columnist who has written extensively on wide-ranging subjects including leadership profiles, retail, art, culture, design, and education ¹. She is a visiting professor at NIFT, where she teaches creative writing and PR to undergraduate students of Fashion Communication. Anshu founded one of India’s pioneering ateliers, Goodword Media Services Pvt. Ltd., which has made a significant contribution to the Indian media industry. Her biggest contribution to Indian heritage is Royal Fables, which she founded to bring to life and showcase Palace Karkhana...
Aparna Kanda is a Cultural Ambassador and Social Development Leader with an LLM in Human Rights Law from the University of Hong Kong. She is the driving force behind Vaaradhi Foundation, a trust dedicated to empowering future generations through free classes and cultural exchange programs targeting government schools in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, in partnership with the government. Aparna’s passion for promoting Indian culture, diversity, and inclusion has led her to organize and be part of numerous events and organizations globally. These include working at the University of Hong Ko...
Aloke Shah is actively engaged in various social and cultural activities. Born and raised in a century-old house in Nainital, Aloke has strong roots in the community. He pursued his education at St Joseph's College and later moved to Lucknow and Allahabad for further studies, where he graduated with an MSc in Physics in 1971. During his student life, he developed a passion for sports, literature, and leadership, which he continues to pursue. After a brief stint as a reporter, Aloke joined t...
Deepak Balani is passionate about book clubs, poetry and music, that includes writing and composing pieces himself, and theatre. He has performed across major cities such as Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, etc. As a former banker he has done extensive work in environmental protection, social development and animal rescue, organising tree plantations, cleanliness drives and sensitisation programs.
Nainital Literature Festival is presented by Lekhni Foundation, a non-profit charitable organisation.
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