IAAC Literary Festival 2025 -IBS

Padma Venkatraman, writer and oceanographer, obtained a doctorate in oceanography from the College of William and Mary, conducted research at Johns Hopkins University, as well as in Germany and the Andaman Islands, worked as a diversity director at the university of RI, was headteacher of a school in England, and lived briefly in the United Arab Emirates and the Andaman Islands before becoming a full time author. Her five novels have been released to over 20 starred reviews and appeared on numerous best book lists, including ALA’s Notable books and BBYA lists. She is the winner of a Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, three South Asia Book Awards, two Paterson Prizes, two Nerdy Book Awards, two Julia Ward Howe Awards, two Malka Penn Honors, two Sakura Medal finalists, a Prix des Libraires finalist and several other awards and honors. Born in India she is now an American citizen who lives with her family in Rhode Island. Her new novel, SAFE HARBOR FOR A SEAL was released from Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House in 2025.

Book Reviews
An uplifting novel in verse about an immigrant girl adjusting to life in the US through her love of nature, music and poetry, by the award-winning author of The Bridge Home

"...beautifully captures the theme of finding love by letting go... a perfect fit for middle school library collections... a must-read for those who appreciate lyrical storytelling with emotional depth" - * SLJ, Starred Review

"SAFE HARBOR is an exquisite verse novel by one of my favorite poets. I fell in love with each heartfelt page. The perfect blend of personal and STEM themes is truly amazing." - Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor winning author of The Surrender Tree & YPP Poet Laureate Emeritus

"You do not read this book so much as experience it through images and feelings, curling up in its safe harbor and watching humans and animals face challenges, yet flourish, thanks to their tenacity, understanding and love. SAFE HARBOR is like entering a dear friend’s kitchen and sharing nourishing food…you’ll breathe in sweet mango and salt air, soak up the sounds of bamboo flute and harp seal, and, after a shiver of ocean spray, embrace the warmth of friendship and hope." - Kathryn Erskine, National Book Award winning author of Mockingbird

Pooja Bavishi is the founder and CEO of Malai, an acclaimed New York-based ice cream company and scoop shop specializing in innovative flavors infused with traditional South Asian ingredients. Inspired by the spices of her childhood—ginger, rose petals, fennel, saffron, and cardamom—Pooja opened Malai in 2015 to offer a unique ice cream experience that blends her rich culinary heritage with everyone’s favorite frozen dessert. The success of Malai soon led to other accomplishments. She won the Food Network’s Chopped Sweets competition in March 2020, was recognized as one of Inc. magazine’s Female Founders 100 in October 2020, and was named a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow in 2018. Pooja holds a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MS from the London School of Economics, and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Book Reviews

“Malai delightfully celebrates cultural traditions while also providing a new canvas for exploration for any skill level. The recipes are accessible, but the flavors are out of this world—a refreshing dessert guide that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser, if you’re willing to share.” —Meena Harris, founder and CEO, Phenomenal Media

“My neighborhood became decidedly more delicious the day Malai opened its doors. What appeared at first to be just another frozen treat shop has transformed and enchanted our little corner of Brooklyn in ways we could never have imagined, drawing ice cream fanatics from New York City and beyond for a taste of Pooja’s enlightened, transporting creations. Now with the Malai cookbook, we can all get a glimpse of the magic she churns each day and learn to make her singular creations ourselves. Malai’s ice cream is not just a joy to eat. It’s a powerful connection to a broader world for flavor lovers of all ages!”—Gail Simmons, food expert, TV host, and author of Bringing It Home

“Pooja is the perfect guide for ice cream lovers looking to make frozen treats at home—which means this book is the perfect guide for everyone! She has grown Malai with such love and intention, and that love and intention overflow into her recipes. They represent the delicious, fabulous blend of her Indian roots and American upbringing—the best of both coming together seamlessly.”—Barkha Cardoz, founder of Cardoz Legacy and author of With Love & Masalas

“When I think of my favorite ice cream shops, Malai is always at the top of my list. The way Pooja combines vibrant Indian-inspired flavors and spices is like nothing I’ve seen anywhere else. She is a singular creative, and I’m so happy to see her cookbook out in the world.”—Kerry Diamond, founder, Cherry Bombe

“Pooja Bavishi shows us how ice cream can tell the story of who we are and where we come from. The Malai cookbook changes the way we think about ice cream—Pooja’s flavor combinations are unmatched, layered with spices, bursting with color, and infused with the richness of her Indian American experience.A sweet triumph.”—Hetty Lui McKinnon, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and food writer
“Turn up the joy, the nostalgia, the color, the flavor in life in all things ice cream with my pal Pooja as your guide. These pages are an invitation to a drool-worthy, magical world of dessert that starts in India but stretches to every place your heart, imagination, and taste buds have traveled to or dreamed of going. Make sure you pack a bib and a spoon for the delicious journey.”—Christina Tosi, chef and founder, Milk Bar

Sunita Kohli is the President of K2India. Since 1972 she has worked as a manufacturer of fine classical and contemporary furniture and as a research-based interior designer; since 1981 she has been a reputed leader in historical interior architectural conservation. Her professional portfolio - across India, Egypt, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the UK - includes several significant public and heritage buildings, hotels and hotel boats, forts, palaces, libraries, museums, corporate offices and select residences. Sunita Kohli’s fine furniture is present in all five continents.

For ‘The Millennium Book on New Delhi’, Sunita Kohli wrote the chapter on New Delhi and Lutyens, titled ‘The Creation of a Planned City’ and is considered an expert on Lutyens’ works in New Delhi. She has co-authored ‘The Lucknow Cookbook’ with her mother, Chand Sur. It is a best seller, declared a classic and is now in its tenth print run. She produced, edited and contributed to ‘KALA - Essays on Contemporary Design Aesthetics’. ‘The India Cookbook – From the Tables of My Friends’, is the second book of her Cuisine Trilogy.

Born near Chicago to immigrants from India, Archana relocated with her parents to Mumbai at age four. After the culture shock abated, she fell in love with her homeland until chance brought the family to California. During vacations and family occasions, Mumbai was a frequent destination. She attended college at UCLA, where she studied political theory and biology before attending medical school at the University of California, Davis. As a professor of medicine and practicing infectious disease physician, she was a front-line healthcare worker from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and was deeply involved in health system pandemic preparedness. Always a writer in the margins of her day, storytelling became an obsession during her medical career, a way to process her observations about human nature during health, stress, and sickness. When she is not working or writing, she is usually traveling with her family.

Book Review
"A beautiful, vivid and atmospheric novel about the pain of leaving behind your heritage and the joys of rediscovering it. Archana Maniar’s writing transports the reader to India in this evocative story of loss and redemption." 
—Fiona Valpy, bestselling author of The Cypress Maze and The Storyteller of Casablanca

“I was drawn into the undeniably beautiful world of Dry Spells from the first page. Set against the vividly drawn backdrop of the modern megacity of Mumbai and 1950s Bombay, the story follows broken-hearted Shyamala Mehta as she escapes LA and moves half a world away to the city her mother left behind a generation ago.

Arriving in the sweltering, drought-stricken city of Mumbai, Shyamala hopes to not only heal her heart but also escape her marriage-obsessed mother’s constant meddling. Living in Mumbai, though, brings her face to face with her own mother’s past—one that Shyamala knows nothing about. As the heat continues to build, so do the family secrets she begins to uncover…Did she ever truly know her mother?

This is a spellbinding debut novel that is a tightly weaved, lyrical love letter to culture, family, and mothers and daughters, and to the foods, fabrics, traditions, and history that shape the Indian experience.”
—Victoria Oundjian, Editor

Stephen P. Huyler is an art historian, author, curator, cultural anthropologist, and photographer conducting a lifelong survey of the art and people of India, with over 124 months of field research in India during the past 53 years, conducting a cross-cultural survey of Indian Craftsmanship and Ritual art. Documenting the profound meanings and significance of rural India’s sacred arts and crafts, Huyler has come to know and love the country and culture well. A leading photographer of India, his extensive image archive has resulted in solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), and the Kodak Center for Creative Imaging.

Huyler’s previous books include Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing (Mapin Press, 2009), Daughters of India: Art and Identity (Abbeville Press & Mapin Publications, 2008), Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion (Yale University Press, 1999), Gifts of Earth: Terracottas & Clay Sculptures of India (Mapin Press, 1996), Village India, Mud, Mirror, and Thread: Folk Traditions of Rural India (Museum of New Mexico Press, 1994), and Painted Prayers: Women’s Art in Village India (Rizzoli International, 1994).

Book Summary
With a compelling story, wit, insight, and candor, American author Stephen Huyler leads the reader into the heart of India with Transformed by India: A Life. Beginning with his arrival on his twentieth birthday, pedaling a bicycle rickshaw from the border, he spins tales of a young man’s fascination that seasons into a rare relationship that has lasted over half a century. Huyler invites readers to join as he navigates this remarkable nation, highlighting individuals from the wide spectrum of life all around the country. Tying all the many stories together is an acknowledgment of the innate strength and creative capacity for improvement expressed everywhere in the subcontinent.

Book Praise
“Stephen Huyler’s work and insights are an inspiring, important introduction to India and Indians, and especially to women’s identity and creativity in India.” Paola Gianturco, Author

“Stephen Huyler has spent a lifetime exploring the peoples and cultures of India’s marginalised societies. This engrossing book describes hair-raising accounts of his travels, encounters with village artists, generous mentors and one notably obstructive adversary, as well as the processes of putting together his many successful books and exhibitions and thoughtful reflections on his status as a ‘privileged white male’ in India.” Rosemary Crill, Author and Scholar

From Page to Premiere: Adapting Books to Screen
Have you ever imagined your novel on Netflix or the big screen? In this candid session, a seasoned TV and film executive and an agent share the insider path from bookshelf to screen adaptation. We’ll unpack the steps to get your book optioned, what producers look for, and how to protect your creative vision in Hollywood. Join us for an exclusive conversation designed for authors eager to bring their stories to life on screen. Learn what it really takes to adapt a book into a movie or TV series, from optioning rights and working with screenwriters to navigating Hollywood’s development process. Whether you’re published traditionally or independently, this session will give you the tools and industry insight to turn your narrative into a cinematic experience.

Priya Doraswamy is an Oscar nominated Executive Producer. She is the founder of the Lotus Lane Literary agency where she represents screenwriters and authors from around the world. She is constantly striving to bring lesser known voices to mainstream media and advocating for inclusivity in the book and film/tv industries.

Amish is an author, former diplomat & broadcaster. Amish published his first book in 2010 and has written 11 books (both fiction and non-fiction) till date. His books have sold over 7 million copies and been translated into 20 Indian & international languages. He is the fastest-selling author in Indian publishing history. Critics have said that his books are backed by tremendous research, deep thought, a rooted-pride in India, and a liberal progressive outlook. Forbes India has regularly ranked Amish among the top 100 most influential celebrities in India. Amish was also selected as an Eisenhower Fellow, a celebrated American programme for outstanding leaders from around the world, in 2014. Among his recent awards are the 21st Century Icon Award in the UK in 2021, the Golden Book award for his novel Suheldev in 2022, and the prestigious Dwarka Prasad Agarwal award at the Jaipur Litfest 2024.

As a broadcaster, he has hosted Warner Bros Discovery’s successful and award-winning Legends of the Ramayan with Amish, Legends of Shiva with Amish & Journey of India. He has produced & hosted the highly acclaimed & blockbuster documentary Ram Janmabhoomi – Return of a Splendid Sun on NDTV & Jio Cinema; the Ram Janmabhoomi documentary was the most watched Indian documentary of 2024 and the 4th most watched non-fiction show overall (an unprecedented viewership for a serious documentary in a reality TV dominated market like India).

In his diplomatic role, Amish worked as the Minister (Culture & Education) at the Indian High Commission to the UK (equivalent to Embassy) and the Director of The Nehru Centre in London from 2019 to 2023. This role was within the Ministry of External Affairs in the Indian Government (equivalent to the US State Department).

Amish is an alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta; He received the Eminent Alumnus Award from IIM-Calcutta in 2017. He worked for 14 years in senior roles in the financial services industry before turning to full-time writing.

An award-winning composer of opera and instrumental works, Param Vir’s music fuses Western tradition and Eastern aesthetics. Born in Delhi, he grew up in a household suffused with the sounds of Indian classical music and began composition lessons at the age of 14 with Hans Joachim Koellreuter. By the time he was 17 years old, he had already composed several short pieces using the 12-tone technique. In 1983 he moved to England to pursue his studies with Peter Maxwell Davies at Dartington and later with Oliver Knussen at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has a particular affinity for dramatic genres and amongst his most performed works are the operatic double bill Snatched by the Gods and Broken Strings, commissioned by Henze for the Munich Biennale, and the full length opera Ion which premiered at the Aldeburgh Festival. Among his concert works, Horse Tooth White Rock, The Theatre of Magical Beings and Hayagriva each draw their inspiration from ancient mythologies, while the vast orchestral canvas of Between Earth and Sky evokes the disorientating beauty of the sculpture of Anish Kapoor. Recent works include a much-acclaimed BBC Proms commission Cave of Luminous Mind and Raga Fields for sarod and large ensemble commissioned and toured by BCMG, Fulcrum Point New Music Projects (Chicago) and Klangforum Wien (Vienna). NMC released a portrait CD ‘Wheeling Past the Stars’ in 2021 and his opera double bill was released on Metier in 2024 performed by London Sinfonietta and conducted by Markus Stenz.

Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, PVSM, UYSM, YSM, VSM (Retd)

Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon (Retd), Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, was commissioned into 4th Battalion The Rajputana Rifles in December 1983. He commanded 15 Rajputana Rifles. An alumni of National Defence Academy, he is a graduate of Defence Service Staff College, Wellington.

Lt Gen Dhillon has served a total of eight tenures in Counter Insurgency /Counter Terrorism Operational areas of which six in Kashmir valley and a tenure each in Jammu region and Manipur in North East. In addition to normal command and staff assignments, he the distinction of commanding the always active in operations 15 Corps (Chinar Corps) responsible for military operations on the line of control and within the Kashmir Valley during the most challenging environment of Pulwama IED blast, Balakote air strikes and Abrogation of Article 370 & 35A. He was Director General Defence Intelligence Agency & Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Intelligence) under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) responsible for International Military Cooperation and strategic intelligence till he superannuated from service on 31 Jan 2022.

After his superannuation, Lt Gen Dhillon authored first book of his life, a National Bestseller already, ‘Kitne Ghazi Aaye Kitne Ghazi Gaye’.

Lt Gen Dhillon is MSc, MPhil and PhD. He is presently the Chairperson, Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi (HP), appointed by the Hon’ble President of India. He is a TEDx and motivational speaker and leadership guide at various Universities and Corporate events.

Book Review

The book ‘Wafadari Imaandari Zimmedari War-room to Board-room’ #WIZ basically deals with the step by step process of making of a leader by imbibing military ethos of following traditions, adhering to regimentation, holding fast to honour codes, building teams, owning your organisation, balancing emotions, respecting family values, navigating crises, facing challenges, sustaining passion and motivation, making hard choices; and above all, not allowing yourself to be broken by withstanding that unbearable pressure for one more second.

With anecdotes extracted from real events in the Army, in environments of war and terrorism, the book primarily focusses on and aligns the relevance of the above mentioned (and many more) military leadership ethos to the lives of students, defence aspirants, school/college faculty, professionals in different fields, young entrepreneurs, homemaker mothers, intern team members, managers, team leaders, corporate executives and everyone else who is willing to learn about ‘how they do it in the Army?’

Usha Akella has authored six books of poetry, three chapbooks, and scripted two musical dramas. She was a finalist and close contender for Austin’s poet laureate in 2025. She earned an MSt in Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge, UK (2018). Three of her books have been translated into Macedonian, Spanish and Romanian (upcoming 2026), and poems have been translated into Turkish, Telugu, French, Hindi etc., Her project Matwaala (www.matwaala.com) has significantly contributed to the visibility of diaspora poets. She was selected as a Creative Ambassador for the City of Austin for 2019 & 2015. Her work has appeared in approximately 100 journals and anthologies.

Usha’s books include Ants and Lotus (2026) by Kelsay Books, Embayed (2025) by Dancing Girl Press, I will not bear you sons (2021) by noted feminist press Spinifex Press, Australia with a blurb by Anne Waldman, The Waiting (2019) by Sahitya Akademi, Delhi (India’s Academy of Letters), followed by the Mantis Editores, Mexico edition in Spanish translated by Elsa Cross. In 2012, Ek, the English musical on the life of Shirdi Sai Baba was produced in Austin and Houston, followed by her play on Mirabai The Way of the Storm in 2024.

Usha is the editor of Hum Aiseich Bolte! This is just how we speak, a poetry anthology celebrating the city of Hyderabad released at Hyderabad Lit Fest (2023.) She edited a festschrift in honor of Keki N. Daruwalla titled A house of words (2024), published by Sahitya Akademi, Delhi. And, en(compass), the Poetry Caravan Anthology published by Yuganta Press (2005).

Usha has taught creative writing workshops for Transformation Language Arts Network (TLAN), International Women’s Writers Guild (IWWG), New York Public Library (NYPL), Writers League of Texas (WLT), Logos collective and privately from her home to adult and youth. She is the founder and co-director of Matwaala (www.matwaala.com), the first South Asian Diaspora Poets Festival in the US. The festival’s mission is to increase the visibility of South Asian poets in the mainstream. Highly regarded for its spirit of kinship, community and dialogue Matwaala has attracted approximately 125 poets so far to read and participate in its projects and programs. She was the founder of the Poetry Caravan in New York in 2003-present, and Austin (for 1 year) which takes poetry readings to the disadvantaged in women’s shelters, senior homes, hospitals. Several hundreds of readings have reached these venues via this medium. She is the host of the-pov along with David Kopacz of a website of numerous curated interviews with well-known personalities from various fields.

Meenakshi Ahamed is a freelance journalist and the author of A Matter of Trust: U.S.-India Relations from Truman to Trump, a sweeping narrative history of the turbulent seventy-year relationship between the two countries. Her writing has been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Seminar, and Asian Age. She has worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and for New Delhi Television, and has served on the boards of Doctors Without Borders, Drugs for Neglected Diseases, and Vellore Christian Medical College Foundation. Ahamed was born in Calcutta and received an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She divides her time between New York, Los Angeles, and New Delhi

Book Blurb
What accounts for Indian Americans’ remarkable ability to break into mainstream American culture and their meteoric rise within its ranks? Other immigrant groups have found success in the U.S., but none have rocketed so far and so fast, reaching heights in a single generation that have taken other groups the better part of a century to achieve. In INDIAN GENIUS, Ahamed focuses on three areas where Indian Americans have had a singular impact: tech, medicine and public policy.

Book Reviews
“Indian Genius is an essential work for understanding the story of modern America. With captivating profiles, Ahamed details how extraordinary Indian Americans are shaping the future in this country, from Silicon Valley to Washington, D.C.” —Eric Schmidt, Former CEO & Chairman, Google

“A splendid combination of history, biography and inspiration. Every American should read and treasure Ahamed’s brilliant and captivating new book and learn about the magnificent contributions of Indian Americans.”—Michael Beschloss, Presidential historian

“Through revealing interviews and insightful profiles, Ahamed shares the extraordinary stories and wisdom of some of Americas most successful Indian immigrants. How they managed opportunities and obstacles, embraced change, and dealt with crises on their way to the top makes this an inspirational book!” —Nandan Nilekani Co-founder and Chairman, Infosys, and Founding Chairman UIDAI(Aadhaar)

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