IAAC Literary Festival
The Indo-American Arts Council presents a whole section on children literature at the annual Literary Festival this year. Aptly themed ‘Wonderland@IAAC’, it is amongst the very first Indian-American children’s literary festival in the US. Presented in partnership with The Culture Tree, it is a part of the larger IAAC Literary festival that will also feature Adult Literature and Poetry.
Wonderland@IAAC
Wonderland@IAAC

Wonderland@IAAC Expressions Literary Contest for Kids

Presented by
The Indo-American Arts Council and The Culture Tree

IAACThe Culture Tree

A one of a kind contest for children of Indian heritage and a platform where they will express and interpret their heritage and experiences of growing up as bi-cultural kids in America.

Deadline for applications: October 13, 2019 12pm
Festival dates: October 19-20, 2019

Contest Pictures

We are looking for:
  • Format: short story, essay, poem, song, sketch/drawing with explanation
  • Maximum Limit: 2 pages, 1000 words
  • Minimum Limit: None
  • Prizes include media callout of the winner, certificate and a monetary prize
Requirements:
  1. Open to: Children of Indian heritage
  2. Only one submission per child
  3. Ticket Holder for at least one of the author events at Wonderland@IAAC
  4. 4 – 16 years of age
  5. The submission should be primarily done by the child, with little guidance from the adult
  6. IAAC and The Culture Tree should be able to use the submission on their websites and on social media (including photo and video)
  7. Winners will be notified via phone by October 15

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Upload your files to this location
Please make sure you include all 4 items below:
  • Submit a 1 min video of the child explaining their inspiration
  • High Resolution photo of the child
  • Document containing
    • Actual submission (essay, poem, song, sketch or painting with description), maximum words: 1000 (2 pages with 12font)
    • Name, age, 3 sentences introducing the child, name of parent and a phone #
  • If selected for award, the ability to read, recite or prepare for 2 minutes on October 20 at 11.45am

Submission to be received by October 10, 12pm (No Exceptions)

WONDERLAND@IAAC

Children’s Literary Festival OCTOBER 19-20, 2019

Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies,
New York University, 255 Sullivan Street, New York, NY 10012.

EVENT SCHEDULE

Day 1

Sheetal Sheth SESSION 1 – OCTOBER 19
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Sheetal Sheth

Book read: Always Anjali
Kulture Kazana: Interactive Show

Sheetal Sheth - acclaimed actress who will be there with her first children's book, Always Anjali which... won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize. Sheetal Sheth is an acclaimed actress known for her provocative performances in a wide range of memorable roles on film and television. She has starred in over 20 feature films and many TV shows and has earned a loyal following. Perhaps best known to mainstream film audiences for starring opposite Albert Brooks in Warner Bros’ LOOKING FOR COMEDY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD, Sheetal has become a favorite in the independent film world. She won 3 Best Actress nods in the festival circuit for THE WORLD UNSEEN, 1 for her role in WINGS OF HOPE, and most recently for GRIN. In 2012, fans voted her ‘Favorite Movie Actress’ in AfterEllen’s Visibility Awards. She just completed filming on the feature, HUMMINGBIRD, which she also produced. Sheetal has represented such brands as Reebok and CHI hair care. She was also the first Indian American to be featured in Maxim. She regularly speaks on panels and forums internationally and takes an active interest in politics. She served in President Clinton's AmeriCorps and is currently on the advisory board of Equality Now and an ambassador for The Representation Project. Her first children's book, Always Anjali won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize and is already in its 2nd printing. www.sheetalsheth.com

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Akruti: Kulture Khazana

Kulture Kazana: Interactive Show

Started by a mompreneur, Kulture Khazana provides Indian cultural books, workshops and online content across North America.... Kulture is a play on the word “culture” and Khazana” means treasure. After the birth of her son, Kulture Khazana’s founder and an immigrant mom, experienced a need for materials to pass on heritage and culture to her son. In early 2018, Akruti Babaria quit her full time job and set on a mission to source these materials for her family and other families raising a global child. Now Kulture Khazana is the exclusive distributor for the books they provide. Kulture Khazana has provided curated Indian Children's materials to several public libraries, nonprofits, temples, schools and families across the US. We also provide story time, cultural workshops, professional development workshops, corporate diversity events and much more.

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Veera Hiranandani SESSION 2 – OCTOBER 19
11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Veera Hiranandani

Book Talk: The Night Diary

Veera Hiranandani - whose book The Night Diary is a 2019 Newbery Honor Award Winner and was named a 2018 Best Book of Year by The New York Times,... The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and The Chicago Public Library, among others. The 2019 John Newbery Honor Award winning author, Veera Hiranandani's book talk is on The Night Diary. A fictional account of one family's experience during the partition of India into two countries in 1947. The story is told in the form of diary entries written by the main character, Nisha, beginning on her twelfth birthday, addressed to her deceased mother . The book rose to fame after amassing awards inclusive of the 2019 Newbery Honor Award, the 2019 Walter Dean Myers Honor Award, and the 2018 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature. The Night Diary has been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, is a New York Times Editor's Choice Pick, and was chosen as a 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews. Veera is also the author of The Whole Story of Half a Girl (Yearling), which was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and a South Asia Book Award Highly Commended selection, and the chapter book series, Phoebe G. Green (Grosset & Dunlap). A not-to-be-missed interactive session for the whole family that is sure to incite conversation. It will be moderated by Namrata Tripathi, Kokila-Penguin. Ages pre-teen and above

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Namrata Tripathi

Session moderated by -

Namrata Tripathi

Namrata Tripathi is Vice President and Publisher of Kokila, a new imprint at Penguin Young Readers... dedicated to centering stories from the margins. She was born in the USSR, and lived in Afghanistan, India, Canada, Pakistan, Germany, and Poland before moving to New York in 1997. Prior to launching Kokila, Tripathi edited many critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling books, including Islandborn, for which illustrator Leo Espinosa received a Pura Belpré Honor; John Corey Whaley’s Printz Award-winning debut, Where Things Come Back; and Veera Hiranandani’s The Night Diary, a 2019 Newbery Honor winner.

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BREAK

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Break and Networking

Roopa Pai SESSION 3 – OCTOBER 19
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Roopa Pai - Book Talk

Roopa Pai - One of India’s best-known authors for children with many award-winning national bestsellers including the 8-part Taranauts,... India's first original fantasy-adventure series for children in English and The Gita For Children, listed by Amazon among its list of ‘100 Indian Books To Read In A Lifetime’. Roopa will have an interactive session with adults and children on the ‘10 powerful ideas from ancient India’. Roopa Pai graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering but quit several years ago to pursue her passion for writing. She worked as freelance journalist and writer for several years, writing for India's premier newspapers, business and lifestyle publications and children's magazines from homes in Mumbai, Delhi, London, New York,and Orlando, before returning to her hometown Bangalore and becoming a full-time children's writer.
Today, with over 25 books under her belt, she is one of the country's best-known authors for children.

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Mona Sehgal SESSION 4 – OCTOBER 19
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Mona Sehgal

Book Read: Under the African Sky
The Culture Tree: Ramleela Puppet Show

Mona Sehgal – Presents her first book, Under the African Sky, the story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles... to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, it highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict. A book read and interactive session by Mona Sehgal the author of THE AFRICAN SKY. The story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, the story also highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict. Mona lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband, daughter, and their squirrel-chasing dog. The session will be followed by the acclaimed Ramleela Puppet Storytime show presented by The Culture Tree. Through the art of puppeteering, we celebrate the magic of Diwali while teaching the true meaning of devotion, love, kindness and valor. Ages 4 and above

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The Culture Tree Ramleela Puppet Show

The Culture Tree: Ramleela Puppet Show

The Culture Tree provides South Asian themed educational and cultural programs that...

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Kavita Bafana SESSION 5 – OCTOBER 19
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Kavita Bafana

Book Read: Namaste Jaipur
Little Ustaads: Cultural Show

Kavita Bafana – will read from Namaste Jaipur, part of the Namaste Series of books, a 6-part series... that will bring the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images. Her interactive session will include a musical journey that brings young children to Jaipur using music, imagination and play. A book read of Namaste Jaipur by author Kavita Bafana who visits the world of kings and queens, camels, horses and beautiful sun sets in the Pink City of Jaipur. The adventures continue as Kavita transports children and adults alike to experience the old town of Jaipur thru music, dance, imagination and even a Ghoomar in the Thar Desert. 3:15-4:15 pm

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Little Ustaads

Little Ustaads: Cultural Show

Beat a Tabla! Strum a Sitar!
Groove to Teen Taal and Rock to a Raga!
... For the first time in the US, we present Little Ustaads, an Indian Classical Music class for children between the ages of 0-5. Already a success in Mumbai, the program introduces your little ones to the fundamentals of Indian Classical Music - sargams, alankars, ragas and taal. The curriculum, music and presentation is uniquely created for this program and taught by trained Classical teachers. Through playful puppets, vibrant visuals and rhythmic sounds, children will be exposed to sounds/music/language and visuals that they never would otherwise experience. Little Ustaads is a packed 45 min session of culture, values, Hindi language, arts and FUN!

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Day 2

Raakhee Mirchandani SESSION 6 – OCTOBER 20
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Raakhee Mirchandani

Book Read: Super Satya
Kulture Kazana: Interactive Show

Raakhee Mirchandani – Award-winning writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader... whose work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post, Redbook and HuffPo. Super Satya Saves the Day is her first book and is inspired by her own fiery daughter Satya. Award-winning writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader, Raakhee Mirchandani, presents her book Super Satya Saves the Day, a story about a precocious Indian-American superhero, who is ready to save the day, even if she doesn't always know it right away! A brilliantly animated story that explores the inner hero in all children. Raakhee's work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post, Redbook and HuffPost. Raakhee has also appeared on the Today show as well as both a host and guest on SiriusXM. The book read will be followed by Kulture Kazana's interactive workshop that will enable children to tap into those heroic super-powers found within all of us. Ages 3 and above

read more >

Akruti: Kulture Khazana

Kulture Kazana: Interactive Show

Started by a mompreneur, Kulture Khazana provides Indian cultural books, workshops and online content across North America.... Kulture is a play on the word “culture” and Khazana” means treasure. After the birth of her son, Kulture Khazana’s founder and an immigrant mom, experienced a need for materials to pass on heritage and culture to her son. In early 2018, Akruti Babaria quit her full time job and set on a mission to source these materials for her family and other families raising a global child. Now Kulture Khazana is the exclusive distributor for the books they provide. Kulture Khazana has provided curated Indian Children's materials to several public libraries, nonprofits, temples, schools and families across the US. We also provide story time, cultural workshops, professional development workshops, corporate diversity events and much more.

read more >
Expressions Contest picture SESSION 7 – OCTOBER 20
11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Expressions Contest

Expressions Contest: Kids of Indian heritage aged 4-16 are eligible to participate in a literary contest where they will express and interpret their... heritage and experiences of growing up as bi-cultural kids in America. The prestigious IAAC awards include media callout of the winner, certificate and a monetary prize. Online submissions are due by Oct 10.

read more >

For Immediate Release
October 1 2019, New York City

WONDERLAND@IAAC

One of a kind Literary Festival for Indian-American Children featuring Award-winning Authors, Workshops, Story times and Cultural Shows

New York (Tri-State) Parents rejoice! The Indo-American Arts Council presents a whole section on children literature at the annual Literary Festival this year. Aptly themed ‘Wonderland@IAAC’, it is amongst the very first Indian-American children’s literary festival in the US. Presented in partnership with The Culture Tree, it is a part of the larger IAAC Literary festival that will also feature Adult Literature and Poetry.

Featuring Award-winning Authors, Workshops, Story times and Cultural Shows, the festival will run for two days, Saturday October 19 from 10am-6:30pm and Sunday October 20 from 10am–6:45pm at the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University, 50 Washington Square S at 255 Sullivan Street, New York, NY 10012.

In today’s world, the most important thing we can teach our children is to be global citizens, to help them develop a global mindset by building their curiosity and appetite for cross-cultural experiences. Music, books/literature, dance and visual arts spark children’s curiosity about who they are in their world and give them a strong grounding in their home culture. Not only are books wonderful resources for helping children develop a sense of one’s own identity, they also provide them with personally meaningful information and introduce concepts from anthropology, history, religion, geography, society etc.

Plus it’s fun! Families are invited to meet authors and artists at story telling sessions and book signings. The lineup also includes tons of family entertainment, including puppet shows, culture shows, live music performance and an Expressions contest. Find the full schedule online. Here are the highlights of the festival:

Children’s Authors Youngsters can meet their favorite authors (and discover new ones) during presentations, readings and book signings. Full biographies and children’s book descriptions can be found here.

  • Veera Hiranandani - whose book The Night Diary is a 2019 Newbery Honor Award Winner and was named a 2018 Best Book of Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and The Chicago Public Library, among others.
  • Roopa Pai - One of India’s best-known authors for children with many award-winning national bestsellers including the 8-part Taranauts, India's first original fantasy-adventure series for children in English and The Gita For Children, listed by Amazon among its list of ‘100 Indian Books To Read In A Lifetime’. Roopa will have an interactive session with adults and children on the ‘10 powerful ideas from ancient India’.
  • Sheetal Sheth - acclaimed actress who will be there with her first children's book, Always Anjali which won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize.
  • Mona Sehgal – Presents her first book, Under the African Sky, the story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, it highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict.
  • Kavita Bafana will read from Namaste Jaipur, part of the Namaste Series of books, a 6-part series that will bring the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images. Her interactive session will include a musical journey that brings young children to Jaipur using music, imagination and play.
  • Raakhee Mirchandani: Award-winning writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader whose work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post, Redbook and HuffPo. Super Satya Saves the Day is her first book and is inspired by her own fiery daughter Satya.

Expressions Contest: Kids of Indian heritage aged 4-16 are eligible to participate in a literary contest where they will express and interpret their heritage and experiences of growing up as bi-cultural kids in America. The prestigious IAAC awards include media callout of the winner, certificate and a monetary prize. Online submissions are due by Oct 10.

Puppet Show Kids of all ages will enjoy this show, put together by The Culture Tree, based on the festival of Diwali which has its roots in ancient India and the epic Ramayan. Through Ramleela see Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman and Ravana come to life in the Puppet Storytime. The show will teach the meaning of true devotion, love, kindness and valor; all while learning why we celebrate Diwali. Don’t miss the surprise celebration at the end!

Culture Shows Enjoy story time with Kulture Khazana which provides Indian cultural books, workshops and online content across North America. Little Ustaads, known for its Indian Classical Music sessions in India and the United States, aims to bring the richness of Indian art, culture and history to children around the world in a fresh and contemporary way.

Indian Food! Enjoy desserts such as Kulfi and grab some Indian chai latte along with other snacks.

The IAAC Literary Festival which encompasses the children’s literary festival, is one of New York’s premier celebrations of Indian-American literature. Alongside the children’s program, writers, readers, authors and poets from across the world will come together to celebrate two days of book talks, book signings, lively cultural shows, private receptions and more. The program is sure to satisfy book enthusiasts across topics, interests and genres including literary fiction, non- fiction, mysteries, thrillers, fantasy, adventure, memoirs, poetry, food writing and children’s books. Cultural identity, immigrant stories and challenging cultural norms is a theme that will be explored in the children’s line up and will engage young readers who are searching for their place in the world. In addition, there will be a galaxy of poets attending the Poetry festival.

IAAC Vice Chairman Rakesh Kaul said of the festival "Adbhuta Rasa is the rasa of mystery and wonderment. Descartes stated that Wonder is the first passion. It is in that spirit that we are excited to welcome our talented and globally recognized cast of writers. They will evoke a sense of surprise, wonder and pleasure in you through their literary creations."

Anu Sehgal, founder of The Culture Tree, an organization that promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through educational and cultural programs, noted “We all know there is a huge diversity gap in children’s books. Through Wonderland our vision is to create a platform where children's books by authors from the Indian diaspora get the visibility they deserve. Additionally, we want Indian-American children to see themselves and their lives in literature. This will instill a deep sense of confidence and curiosity about their culture. Through festivals like this, we also offer cross-cultural exposure that can help develop knowledgeable, open-minded and respectful individuals.”

ABOUT INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL:
The Indo-American Arts Council supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here.

About The Culture Tree:
The Culture Tree promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through educational and cultural programs for children and their families to instill a deeper connection with their heritage and the world around them. For information please visit: www.theculturetree.com

Links, Social Media, Photos, More
Authors Photos and Bios, Event Posters and more are downloadable at
https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/

Social Media
Indo-American Arts Council
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iaac.us
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAArtsCouncil
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IAArtsCouncil

The Culture Tree
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCultureTreeNY
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCultureTree
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theculturetree/

Event Hashtags
#IAACLitFest
#WonderlandAtIAAC
#IndoAmericanArtsCouncil
#TheCultureTree

Contact:
Suman Gollamudi
Media, Sponsorships & Public Relations
Indo-American Arts Council
suman.gn@iaac.us

WONDERLAND@IAAC

[END]

WONDERLAND@IAAC

Adult's Literary Festival OCTOBER 19-20, 2019

Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies,
New York University, 255 Sullivan Street, New York, NY 10012.

EVENT SCHEDULE

Day 1

Kanchan Koya SESSION 1B – OCTOBER 19
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Kanchan Koya

Book Talk: Spice Spice Baby

Kanchan Koya has a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School, training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition,... and knows that food can be the best and most powerful preventative medicine. While studying DNA repair as a PhD student, Kanchan’s lab began studying the cancer-fighting powers of curcumin, the active compound in the ancient spice, turmeric. This sparked Kanchan’s interest in the science-backed health benefits of spices, which she had grown up enjoying on a daily basis in India. Upon becoming a mother, she founded Spice Spice Baby, a platform dedicated to shedding light on the healing potential of spices, demystifying them for a global audience, and inspiring their use in food for the whole family. Kanchan’s recipes are original, eclectic, nutritious, and packed with spice. She is part of the Creators Program at Buzzfeed Tasty creating recipes and digital content for a global audience of millions. You can find her experimenting with spices in her kitchen, enjoying a sweaty yoga class, or sipping a glass of wine in Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with her husband and two kids.

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John Guy SESSION 2B – OCTOBER 19
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

John Guy

Book Talk: Art & Independence
Y.G. Srimati And Indian Style

John Guy is the Florence and Herbert Irving Curator of the Arts of South and Southeast Asia at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and... an elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He formerly served as Senior Curator of Indian art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. He has curated numerous international exhibitions and is widely published in journals and collected volumes. His major books include Indian Art and Connoisseurship (ed. 1995), Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition (1997), Woven Cargoes: Indian Textiles in the East (1998, repr. 2009), Indian Temple Sculpture (2007, repr. 2017), Wonder of the Age: Master Painters of India (2011), Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500–1800 (co-author, 2013), and Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia (2014).

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Anjali Sachdeva SESSION 3B – OCTOBER 19
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Anjali Sachdeva

Book Talk: All The Names They Used For God

Anjali Sachdeva’s debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, is the winner of the 2019 Chautauqua Prize,... Anjali Sachdeva’s debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, is the winner of the 2019 Chautauqua Prize, was longlisted for the 2018 Story Prize, and was selected as a best book of 2018 by NPR. The New York Times Book Review called the collection "strange and wonderful." Author Roxane Gay called it, "One of the best collections I’ve ever read,” and Pulitzer Prize-winner Anthony Doerr said, “All the Names They Used for God fuses science, myth, and imagination into a dark and gorgeous series of questions about our current predicaments. Sachdeva is a fascinating storyteller.” Sachdeva is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and currently teaches at the University of Pittsburgh and in the MFA program at Randolph College. She has hiked through the backcountry of Canada, Iceland, Kenya, Mexico, and the United States, and spent much of her childhood reading fantasy novels and waiting to be whisked away to an alternate universe. Instead, she lives in Pittsburgh, which is pretty wonderful as far as places in this universe go.

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BREAK

2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Break and Networking

Anuradha Bhagwati SESSION 4B – OCTOBER 19
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Anuradha Bhagwati

Book Talk: Unbecoming: A Memoir Of Disobedience

Anuradha Bhagwati is a writer, activist, yoga and meditation teacher, and Marine Corps veteran... whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, Foreign Affairs, and The New Republic. Anuradha is a regular media commentator on issues related to national security, women’s rights, civil rights, and mental health, and is the recipient of numerous awards. She founded the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), which brought national attention to sexual violence in the military and helped overturn the ban on women in com­bat. She lives in New York City with her service dog, Duke.
Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience, is a raw, unflinching memoir by a former US Marine Captain chronicling her journey from dutiful daughter of immigrants to radical activist effecting historic policy reform.

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Authors - POETRY SESSION 5B – OCTOBER 19
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

POETRY

Diane Mehta

Diane Mehta

Diane Mehta’s debut poetry collection, Forest with Castanets, came out in March 2019. Born in Frankfurt,... Germany, and raised in Bombay and New Jersey, Mehta studied with Derek Walcott and Robert Pinsky in the nineties and has been an editor at PEN America’s Glossolalia, Guernica and A Public Space. Her book about writing poetry was published by Barnes & Noble books in 2005. She is finishing a historical novel set in 1946 India and a collection of essays. She lives in Brooklyn.
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Pramila Venkateswaran

Pramila Venkateswaran

Pramila Venkateswaran, poet laureate of Suffolk County, Long Island (2013-15) and... co-director of Matwaala: South Asian Diaspora Poetry Festival, is the author of Thirtha (Yuganta Press, 2002) Behind Dark Waters (Plain View Press, 2008), Draw Me Inmost (Stockport Flats, 2009), Trace (Finishing Line Press, 2011), Thirteen Days to Let Go (Aldrich Press, 2015), Slow Ripening (Local Gems, 2016), and The Singer of Alleppey (Shanti Arts, 2018). She has performed the poetry internationally, including at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival and the Festival Internacional De Poesia De Granada. An award winning poet, she teaches English and Women’s Studies at Nassau Community College, New York. Author of numerous essays on poetics as well as creative non-fiction, she is also the 2011 Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Long Island Poet of the Year.
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Rafiq Kathwari

Rafiq Kathwari

Rafiq Kathwari is the first Kashmiri-American recipient of the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award... Rafiq Kathwari is the first Kashmiri-American recipient of the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award. He has an MFA from Columbia University and an M.A from the New School. He divides his time between New York, Dublin and Kashmir where he was born a Scorpio at Midnight.
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Subhashini Kaligotla

Subhashini Kaligotla

Subhashini Kaligotla is a poet and architectural historian of medieval India.... A graduate of Columbia University’s MFA program in Creative Writing and a Kundiman poetry fellow, her work has appeared in such journals as The Caravan, diode, LUMINA, New England Review, and The Literary Review. In 2018, Subhashini published her first book of poems Bird of the Indian Subcontinent, which owes its existence to New York City, a city she considers home no matter where she was born, raised, or lives. She is Assistant Professor of South Asian Art at Yale University.
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Kirun Kapur

Kirun Kapur

Kirun Kapur is the winner of the Arts & Letters Rumi Prize in Poetry and the Antivenom Poetry... Prize for her first book, Visiting Indira Gandhi’s Palmist. Her work has appeared in AGNI, Poetry International, FIELD, Prairie Schooner and many other journals. She has taught creative writing at Boston University and has been awarded fellowships from The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Vermont Studio Center and MacDowell Colony. She is the founder and director of the Boston-area arts program The Tannery Series and serves as Poetry Editor at The Drum Literary Magazine. Kapur grew up in Hawaii and lives north of Boston.
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Indran Amirthanayagam

Indran Amirthanayagam

Indran Amirthanayagam (Colombo, Ceylon, 1960) is an American poet and diplomat,... He writes poetry in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. He has published sixteen collections thus far, including Coconuts on Mars (www.paperwall.in), En busca de posada (Editorial Apogeo, Lima, 2019) and Paolo 9 (Manofalsa, Lima, 2019). The Elephants of Reckoning (Hanging Loose Press, NY, 1993) won the 1994 Paterson Prize in the United States. Uncivil War (Tsar/Mawenzi House, Toronto, 2013) tells the history of the Sri Lankan Civil War. The Splintered Face: Tsunami Poems (Hanging Loose Press, NY, 2008) appeared in the wake of the Asian Tsunami of 2004. Other books include Il n'est de solitude que l'île lointaine (Legs Editions, Haiti, 2017), and Ventana Azul (El Tapiz del Unicornio, Mexico City, 2016), In music, he has released Rankont Dout (available to download from all the music stores), He has written on poetry for the blog http://indranamirthanayagam.blogspot.com. He directs Poetry at the Port, a monthly spoken word series at Port Au Prince restaurant in Silver Spring. He is on the Board of Directors of DC-ALT, an association of literary translators. He writes a weekly column featuring poems for the newspaper Haiti en Marche. Amirthanayagam is a past recipient of fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, The US/Mexico Fund for Culture and the Macdowell Colony.
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Monica Farrell

Monica Farrell

Monica Ferrell is the author of three books, most recently the poetry collection You Darling Thing... (Four Way, 2018), named a New & Noteworthy selection by The New York Times and a finalist for the Believer Book Award in Poetry. She directs the Creative Writing Program at Purchase College (SUNY) and lives with her husband and two children in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
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Ralph Nazareth

Ralph Nazareth

Ralph Nazareth is a poet, teacher and publisher. His many publications here and abroad include... four books of poems: Ferrying Secrets (Yugadi Publishers, Hyderabad, India 2005); a selection of poems Cristal: Poemas Selectos (El Quirófano Ediciones, Ecuador 2015); Between Us the Long Road (Owlfeather Collective, New York, 2017) and Dropping Death (Yuganta Press, Connecticut, 2018) co-authored with Duane Esposito. After nearly four decades of teaching English at SUNY Stony Brook & Purchase, UT Austin, & Nassau Community College, he lists his years doing poetry with ten-year olds in Stamford schools in the 80s as among his most memorable. He leads a group of poets weekly at Curley’s Diner in Stamford and also teaches creative writing in maximum-security prisons in New York State. He is the Managing Editor of Yuganta Press in Stamford. Since his retirement in 2015 he has been directing a nonprofit charitable foundation GraceWorks, Inc., (www.graceworksinternational.org) which undertakes developmental projects in India, Africa and other parts of the world.
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Tsering Wangmo

Tsering Wangmo

Tsering Wangmo Dhompa is the author of three collections of poetry: My Rice Tastes Like the Lake,... In the Absent Everyday and Rules of the House (all from Apogee Press, Berkeley). Dhompa's first non-fiction book, Coming Home to Tibet was published the US by Shambhala Publications in 2016. She has a PhD. in Literature from UC, Santa Cruz and is an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Villanova University.
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Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar

Pushcart prize winning poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar has published, edited or has... forthcoming over fifteen books, including the Muse India award-winning translations of 9th century Tamil poet/saint, Andal, 'The Autobiography of a Goddess' (Zubaan/University of Chicago), 'The Golden Shovel: New Poems Honoring Gwendolyn Brooks" (University of Arkansas) and 'The Many Uses of Mint: New and Selected Poems 1997-2017' (Recent Works Press). Along with Tina Chang and Nathalie Handal, he co-edited W.W. Norton's "Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia & Beyond" and he founded one of the world's oldest electronic journals of the arts, Drunken Boat. He has taught and performed around the world and currently holds a research fellowship from the University of Sydney. His collaborative chapbook, 'A Field Guide to Southern China' written with T.S. Eliot Prize winner George Szirtes was just published in the UK August 2019 by Eyewear Publishing.
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Jaswinder Bolina

Jaswinder Bolina

Jaswinder Bolina is author of three full-length collections of poetry, The 44th of July (2019),... Phantom Camera (2013), and Carrier Wave (2007), and of the digital chapbook The Tallest Building in America (2014). His first collection of essays, Of Color, is being released by McSweeney's in March 2020.
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Day 2

Jennifer Acker SESSION 6B – OCTOBER 20
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Jennifer Acker

Book Talk: The Limits Of The World

Jennifer Acker is founder and editor in chief of The Common, and author of the debut novel The Limits of the World. ... Her short stories, essays, translations, and reviews have appeared in Amazon Original Stories, Washington Post, Literary Hub, n+1, The Yale Review, and Ploughshares, among other places. Acker has an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and teaches writing and editing at Amherst College, where she directs the Literary Publishing Internship and organizes LitFest. She lives in western Massachusetts with her husband.jenniferacker.com

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Megha Majumdar

Session moderated by -

Megha Majumdar

Megha Majumdar is an associate editor at Catapult, where she acquires and publishes narrative nonfiction,... memoir and fiction. She is also the author of A Burning, her debut novel, to be published by Knopf in June 2020. She grew up in Kolkata, India, and studied anthropology at Johns Hopkins and Harvard. She lives in New York.
Twitter: @MeghaMaj
Instagram: @megha.maj

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Anupam Kher SESSION 7B – OCTOBER 20
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Anupam Kher

Book Talk: Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly: An Autobiography.

BAFTA award nominee, Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan National awards winner, Actor Anupam Kher ... BAFTA award nominee, Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan National awards winner, Actor Anupam Kher is one of the lead actors on NBC's hit TV show New Amsterdam. He has acted in over 500 films and 100 plays in under 35 years, most of them blockbuster films. He has also featured in mainstream Hollywood films such as Silver Linings Playbook, Hotel Mumbai, The Big Sick and has worked with directors such as Ang Lee, David O Russell, Woody Allen, Gurinder Chaddha and The Wachowskis. He is also the former chairman of the Film Certification Board and National School of Drama and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) As an author he was ranked 17th amongst top 200 best global authors for his best-selling inspirational book The Best thing About You Is You which has been translated in 6 languages and is in its 20th edition. In June 2019 he has been listed as amongst the top 10 Social media influencers in the world, which also includes names like Dwayne Johnson, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith and Mark Ruffalo.

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Rakesh Kaul SESSION 8B – OCTOBER 20
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Rakesh Kaul

Book Talk: Dawn, The Warrior Princess Of Kashmir

Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir. Notably, after a several years hunt, he recovered the Tengapura Durga,... Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir. Notably, after a several years hunt, he recovered the Tengapura Durga, the oldest continuously worshipped Durga in the world from the German government for India. He served as Co-Chairman of The Arts of Kashmir Exhibition at Asia Society NY. He is a noted speaker and writer on the arts, culture and history of Kashmir. He lives with his wife, Sushma, in New Jersey but ranges across Time and Space. He and Sushma have just returned from a mystical, out of the world, adbhuta experience of Lake Manasoravar and Mount Kailash, Tibet.

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Gabriela Nik. Ilieva

Session moderated by -

Gabriela Nik. Ilieva

Gabriela is director of the south Asian languages program at NYU she is passionate about exploring the ways language... encodes certain socio-cultural meanings. Specifically, she examines discourse structures in Hindi and Sanskrit literature that reproduce or challenge gender-based relations of power and dominance in Indian society. Her translation work includes stories by Amrita Pritam, Manto, Kamleshwar, Mukktibodh, poetry by Manglesh Dabral into Bulgarian and Bulgarian poetry into Hindi. In addition, I have examined Medieval Indian poetics, namely the schools of alankaara (ornaments) and dhvani (suggested meaning) in comparison with Ancient Greek and Roman Rhetoric and some contemporary European literary theories. She teaches advanced Hindi language courses, as well as Ancient Indian Literature and Modern South Asian Literature courses.

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BREAK

2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Break and Networking

Susham Bedi SESSION 9B – OCTOBER 20
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Susham Bedi

Book Talk

Born in Ferozpur, Punjab , Susham Bedi currently teaches Modern Indian Literature at City University of New York and previously taught at Columbia University. ...
She is the author of nine major Hindi language novels as well as 4 short story collections and poetry. These have been widely translated and have been the subject of academic dissertations and debates on the South Asian diaspora experience. Bedi's narrative focus tends to be on the negotiative and transformative process itself, the pain and tragedy of cultural loss, but also the sense of hope and opportunity in forging new and stronger identities if one is willing to endure the transformative process. Her works are thus located squarely in the South Asian diaspora and immigrant experience.
She is the recipient of many awards including the Padmbhushan Satyanarayan Moturi purskar from the President of India and the Pravasi sahitya Samman- from Akhshram and Sahitya Akademi, Delhi-2006

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Gabriela Nik. Ilieva

Session moderated by -

Gabriela Nik. Ilieva

Gabriela is director of the south Asian languages program at NYU she is passionate about exploring the ways language...

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Maya Lang SESSION 10B – OCTOBER 20
4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Maya Lang

Book Talk: The Sixteenth Of June

Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir What We Carry... Maya Shanbhag Lang is the first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants and the author of The Sixteenth of June. She lives outside of New York City.

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For Immediate Release
October 24 2019, New York City

NY Celebrates Diversity in Literature at the
WONDERLAND@IAAC Literary Festival

Dignitaries from the literature world descend on the one-of-a-kind literary festival,
featuring award-winning Indian-American authors, poets and performances

New York

At the 5th Annual IAAC Literary Festival, the Indo-American Arts Council celebrated literary works representing South Asian heritage. On October 19 and 20, authors and poets, all of them multiple award-winning and acclaimed in their own right, participated in talks and readings, making it an unforgettable experience for adults and children alike. Festival Director Nili Lakhani said that in addition to the Adult Lit festival, "The need of the hour is diversity in youth literature and pioneering initiatives such as the children's lit festival help push forward important conversations and lead to a real change in children's literature publishing. Our vision is to create a place where Indian-American children see themselves reflected within the literature they read".

At the festival -

Kanchan Koya presented The Spice Spice Baby Cookbook, a first-of-its-kind cookbook detailing the science of spices. She held the audience's attention by debunking myths, discussing the powerful benefits of the spices and inspired the attendees to cook with the spices.

— Renowned scholar and curator at the MET Museum, John Guy, shared his extensive knowledge of South Asian art with a visually stunning presentation, detailing his book
Art and Independence: Y. G. Srimati and the Indian Style

Anjali Sachdeva talked about growing up between two cultures, how her debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, Best book of 2018 by NPR, written over 12 years, came to be, the common thread between the stories, how it was written and more

Jennifer Acker, author of the debut novel The Limits of the World, was in conversation with Megha Majumdar, the associate editor at Catapult. She spoke about how the book is framed by family that has moved to a new continent almost every generation, to India, East Africa and then to the US. Spanning four generations and three continents, the book illuminates the vast mosaic of cultural divisions and ethical considerations that shape the ways in which people judge others' actions

— Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir, Rakesh Kaul was in conversation with Gabriela Nik Ilieva, Director of the South Asian Languages program at NYU. The festival featured the NY launch of Dawn: The Warrior Princess of Kashmir, a sci-fi saga that reveals eternal truths as it traverses the terrains of the Kashmir Valley, the birthplace of the greatest stories ever. In this Dystopian story, the protagonist seeks out secrets hidden in the Niti folk tales of Kashmir and unlock the powers within her to become the ultimate warrior.

Susham Bedi, who currently teaches Modern Indian Literature at City University of New York and previously taught at Columbia University, held a very engaging talk with Gabriela and spoke of her journey and her work in Hindi Literature which has been widely translated.

Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir What We Carry, presented an intimate and personal account of her relationship with her mother in conversation with IAAC Chairman Dr. Mattoo. The talk left the audience in a very emotional state.

— Actor Anupam Kher held the audience in rapt attention during his chat about his new book Lessons Life Taught me, Unknowingly: An Autobiography. The crowd was entertained and inspired with the stories and snippets he shared from his life. On the occasion, he said: "Thank you, Indo-American Arts Council for launching my book with so much of warmth. Thank you, Dr. Mattoo for being such a generous moderator. And having Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan in the audience was my ultimate high and honor."

This year, IAAC also celebrated the 1st Annual Wonderland@IAAC Children's Literary Festival. The Indo-American Arts Council and The Culture Tree partnered together to program a festival that helped ignite young minds in a way only words and thoughts can.

Speaking at the event, Anu Sehgal, Founder of The Culture Tree, said, "Our mission is to provide Cultural Literacy specially on South Asia. As cultural educators, we are looking to providing children with authentic, immersive, fun and inspiring experiences. This fall we have introduced puppet shows and a literary festival that will take cross-cultural learning a different level. Through events like these, we can offer cross-cultural exposure that can help shape knowledgeable, open-minded and respectful individuals. We all know there is a huge diversity gap in children's books in America. People of color make up 37% of the U.S. population, but only 10% of children's books published in the past 21 years include multicultural content. We want books that our kids read to be Windows into a new world, but we also want them to be MIRRORS into their heritage and their experiences, something that is extremely empowering!"

The authors who participated in this session were:

Veera Hiranandani with her Newbery award winning The Night Diary, A fictional account of one family's experience during the partition of India into two countries in 1947. The story is told in the form of diary entries written by the main character, Nisha, beginning on her 12th birthday, addressed to her deceased mother. Moderating Veera Hiranandani's session was Namrata Tripathi, Publisher at Kokila Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, which publishes inclusive books for children and young adults across all formats and genres.

— Celebrated author Roopa Pai, who flew in from India, presented an interactive session with her talk on The Ten Powerful Ideas From Ancient India that explores modern day questions parents and children face everyday

— Actress Sheetal Sheth with her first children's book Always Anjali, which won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize

Mona Sehgal, with her debut novel Under the African Sky. The story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, the story also highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict. The session was followed by the acclaimed Ramleela Puppet Storytime show presented by The Culture Tree. Through the art of puppeteering, the children celebrated the magic of Diwali while learning the true meaning of devotion, love, kindness and valor.

Kavita Bafana, who presented the cultural show Little Ustaads and read from Namaste Jaipur part of the Namaste series of books, a six-part series that brings the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images. Her interactive session included a musical journey that brought young children to Jaipur using music, imagination and play.

Raakhee Mirchandani, a crusader against pediatric cancer, brought to the children, the story of Super Satya Saves the Day, a brilliantly animated story that explores the inner hero in all children

Akruti Babaria, Founder of Kulture Khazana, which made the festival even more fun by incorporating song and dance into the sessions, had this to say, "This is a phenomenal platform to bring creatives together for our children, passing down heritage and sharing stories about Indian culture. Everyone has a story and every child loves a good story.we need to make sure our children see themselves in these stories and grow up to be fearless to tell theirs!"

Attendee Havisha Karihaloo, who flew in from Houston, said of the event: "Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity for Indian heritage kids. wrapping this travel with peace in heart and an experience that will last. Hope to you bring this to other cities soon."

The awards for the Expressions literary contest for children were given out by Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty, who provided his support to the festival and encouraged IAAC to take the literary festival to other cities. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion and gave away the awards were actor Anupam Kher, Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash. Director of the South Asian Languages Program at NYU Gabriela Nik Ileva provided extensive support to all aspects of planning and execution of the festival as IAAC forged a new partnership with the Hagop Kevorkian Center at New York University.

The winners of the Expressions Literary Contest for children at the Wonderland@IAAC Literary Festival were:

Uma Tiwari, 5 years, Drawing
Vikram Sethi, 7 years, Hamare Gandhiji poem
Nikhil Sethi, 10 years, Interpretation of Eidgah
Dev Lakhani, 11 years, Drawing
Sahana Dhama, 13 years, essay

Ravi Shankar, poet extraordinaire and a diaspora Icon, led an evening of poetry reading at the end of the inaugural day. Poets from all over the world participated in this one-of-a-kind experience for the audience. Guests mingled, had book conversations and got their books signed at the post event wine reception. Poets who participated include:

— The Green Rose Prize in Poetry winner Jaswinder Bolina. His first collection of essays, Of Color, is being released in March 2020.

— The poet laureate of Suffolk County, Long Island, Pramila Venkateswaran. She is also the 2011 Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Long Island Poet of the Year.

Kirun Kapur, named by NBCNews on their 2015 list of Asian-American Poets to Watch.

— The first non-Irishman to win the Patrack Kavanaugh Prize, Kashmiri-born Rafiq Kathwari.

— Former editor at PEN America, Guernica, and A Public Space, Diane Mehta whose debut poetry collection, Forest with Castanets, came out in March 2019.

— Yale art historian and winner of the (Great) Indian Poetry Collective's Emerging Poets Prize, Subhashini Kaligotla who read from her first book of poems ,Bird of the Indian Subcontinent.

— Poet and novelist and winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Poetry Prize Monica Ferrell whose poetry collection You Darling Thing was named a New & Noteworthy selection by The New York Times.

— Poet, teacher and publisher of Yuganta Press, Ralph Nazareth who is the author of four books of poems.

Tsering Wangmo Dhompa who has multiple poetry collections and is the finalist for the 2012 Northern California Independent Bookseller's Book of the Year Award.

— Poet/diplomat Indran Amirthanayagam who has published sixteen collections thus far, including the Elephants of Reckoning which won the 1994 Paterson Prize in the United States.

— Pushcart prize winning poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar who has published, edited or has forthcoming over fifteen books, including the Muse India award-winning translations of 9th century Tamil poet/saint, Andal. His collaborative chapbook, 'A Field Guide to Southern China' written with T.S. Eliot Prize winner George Szirtes was just published in the UK August 2019.

Speaking about the event, Festival Director Suman Gollamudi, said: "To say that the festival was successful would be an understatement. Everybody came together to celebrate the work these authors and writers are bringing to the diaspora community. It was a wonderful two days of a community bonding over literature. We thank our friends, donors, the Board, the Advisory Council and the staff who have worked tirelessly to make the event a success."

IAAC Vice Chairman Rakesh Kaul concluded, "The Indo-American Arts Council is playing a very useful role in bringing to the forefront and making the Indian diaspora aware of these shining jewels in the community. We are delighted to collaborate with The Culture Tree on youth literature and to bring to the children, a sense of wonder through the books. We are looking forward to a continued success in providing a platform for Indian-Americans to see themselves in the stories which represent them. We aim for the festival to be a benchmark in celebrating diversity in South Asian literature."

Links, Social Media, Photos, More
Authors Photos and Bios, Event Posters and more are downloadable at
https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/
Photos: https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#photos-child
              https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#photos
Videos: https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#videos

Social Media
Indo-American Arts Council
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iaac.us
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAArtsCouncil
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IAArtsCouncil

The Culture Tree:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCultureTreeNY
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCultureTree
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theculturetree/

Event Hashtags

#IAACLitFest
#WonderlandAtIAAC
#IndoAmericanArtsCouncil
#TheCultureTree

ABOUT INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL:
The Indo-American Arts Council supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here.

About The Culture Tree:
The Culture Tree promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through educational and cultural programs for children and their families to instill a deeper connection with their heritage and the world around them. For information please visit: www.theculturetree.com

Contact:

Suman Gollamudi
Media, Sponsorships & Public Relations
Indo-American Arts Council
suman.gn@iaac.us

###

 

 

For Immediate Release
October 7 2019, New York City

WONDERLAND@IAAC Literary Festival

One of a kind Literary Festival featuring Award-winning Indian-American Authors, Workshops, Poetry sessions and more

New York (Tri-State) The Indo-American Arts Council announces the 5th Annual Literature Festival, this year aptly themed, 'Wonderland@IAAC'. One of the premier celebrations of works influenced by the Indian sub continent, this year, the festival is larger than ever with not only a stellar Adult Literature lineup but also the first Children’s literature program and a wide selection of Poetry.

Nearly 30 authors and participants from across a spectrum of genres and topics will come together with hundreds of book enthusiasts on Saturday October 19 from 10am-6:30pm and Sunday October 20 from 10am–6:45pm at the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University, 255 Sullivan Street, New York, NY 10012.

The IAAC Literary Festival is one of New York’s premier celebrations of Indian-American literature. With two days of book talks, book signings, lively cultural shows, activities, private receptions and more, the program is sure to satisfy book enthusiasts across topics, interests and genres including literary fiction, non- fiction, mysteries, thrillers, fantasy, adventure, memoirs, poetry, food writing and children’s books. Cultural identity, immigrant stories and challenging cultural norms is a theme that will be explored in both the children’s and adult literature line up and will engage young readers who are searching for their place in the world.

Internationally acclaimed emcee, poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar, acclaimed as “ One of America's finest younger poets” by the late CT State Poet Laureate Dick Allen and called "a diaspora icon as well as bête noir" in The Hindu, will introduce an array of extraordinary South Asian voices that will resonate long into the reception featuring wine and cheese, and book signings.

The first ever children’s lineup at the Indo-American Art Council’s Literature Festival is being presented in partnership with The Culture Tree whose founder Anu Sehgal noted “We all know there is a huge diversity gap in children’s books. Through Wonderland our vision is to create a platform where children's books by authors from the Indian diaspora get the visibility they deserve. Additionally, we want Indian-American children to see themselves and their lives in literature. This will instill a deep sense of confidence and curiosity about their culture. Through festivals like this, we also offer cross-cultural exposure that can help develop knowledgeable, open-minded and respectful individuals.”

IAAC Vice Chairman Rakesh Kaul said of the festival "Adbhuta Rasa is the rasa of mystery and wonderment. Descartes stated that Wonder is the first passion. It is in that spirit that we are excited to welcome our talented and globally recognized cast of writers. They will evoke a sense of surprise, wonder and pleasure in you through their literary creations."

We are thrilled to announce that headlining the Adult Literature Program will be:

  • Kanchan Koya who is the founder of Spice Spice Baby, a platform dedicated to shedding light on the healing potential of spices, demystifying them for a global audience, and inspiring their use in food for the whole family. She has a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School and is part of the Creators Program at Buzzfeed.
  • A renowned curator and scholar, John Guy has published widely on South Asian art and curated a number of ground-breaking exhibitions at The Met, most recently Encountering Vishnu: The Lion Avatar in Indian Temple Performance (2016), Y.G. Srimati and the Indian Style (2017) and Vajra Masters: Ritual Art of Nepal (2018). Previously, he served as senior curator of Indian art at the Victoria and Albert Museum London for 22 years.
  • Anjali Sachdeva’s debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, is the winner of the 2019 Chautauqua Prize, was longlisted for the 2018 Story Prize, and was selected as a best book of 2018 by NPR. The New York Times Book Review called the collection “strange and wonderful.".
  • Jennifer Acker is founder and editor in chief of The Common, and author of the debut novel The Limits of the World. Her short stories, essays, translations, and reviews have appeared in Amazon Original Stories, Washington Post and The Yale Review among other places.
  • Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir, Rakesh Kaul, notably, after a several years hunt, recovered the Tengapura Durga, the oldest continuously worshipped Durga in the world from the German government for India. He served as Co-Chairman of The Arts of Kashmir Exhibition at Asia Society NY. He is a noted speaker and writer on the arts, culture and history of Kashmir.
  • Susham Bedi currently teaches Modern Indian Literature at City University of New York and previously taught at Columbia University. She is the author of nine major Hindi language novels as well as 4 short story collections and poetry. Her works are thus located squarely in the South Asian diaspora and immigrant experience.
  • Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir What We Carry, is the first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants and the author of The Sixteenth of June.
  • Simrita Dhir is a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Standard Awardee and a recipient of the Chancellor’s Medal for Academic Excellence in Post Graduate Studies. She has contributed to leading national newspapers including The Times of India, The Indian Express and The Tribune. She lectures on Writing, Diversity and Imagination at the University of California, Art Institute of California, among others.
  • BAFTA award nominee, Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan National awards winner, Actor Anupam Kher is one of the lead actors on NBC's hit TV show New Amsterdam. He has acted in over 500 films and 100 plays in under 35 years, many of them blockbuster films. He has featured in Hollywood films such as Silver Linings Playbook, Hotel Mumbai, The Big Sick and has worked with directors Ang Lee, David O Russell, Woody Allen, Gurinder Chaddha and The Wachowskis. As an author he was ranked 17th amongst top 200 best global authors for his best-selling inspirational book The Best thing About You Is You which has been translated in 6 languages and is in its 20th edition.
  • Anuradha Bhagwati is a writer, activist, yoga and meditation teacher, and Marine Corps veteran. She is a regular media commentator on issues related to national security, women’s rights, civil rights, and mental health, and is the recipient of numerous awards. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, Foreign Affairs, and The New Republic.

Celebrate the perfect end to the inaugural day of the Festival, on Saturday Oct 19 4:30pm, by enjoying some poetry from around the subcontinent and joining us for refreshments, conversation, book signings and photo opportunities. The rich poetry tradition of the Indian subcontinent stretches back for centuries and includes such crucial voices from Kabir to Kalidasa, Andal to Tagore, and this evening will showcase what the new generation of Indian and diaspora writers are doing to stretch the bounds of poetic discourse and probe what it means to be brown in America today. Rejoice in the actuality of diversity in literature by supporting these disparate poets as they perform from their latest works and engage with the audience. We are excited to welcome to the stage such diverse writers as

- The Green Rose Prize in Poetry winner Jaswinder Bolina who is the author of three full-length collections of poetry. His first collection of essays, Of Color, is being released in March 2020.

- The poet laureate of Suffolk County, Long Island, Pramila Venkateswaran. An award winning poet, she has performed poetry internationally, including at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival and the Festival Internacional De Poesia De Granada. She is also the 2011 Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Long Island Poet of the Year.

- Kirun Kapur, named by NBCNews on their 2015 list of Asian-American Poets to Watch. Her work has appeared in AGNI, Poetry International, FIELD, Prairie Schooner and many other journals.

- The first non-Irishman to win the Patrack Kavanaugh Prize, Kashmiri-born Rafiq Kathwari has an MFA from Columbia University and divides his time between New York, Dublin and Kashmir.

- Former editor at PEN America, Guernica, and A Public Space, Diane Mehta’s debut poetry collection, Forest with Castanets, came out in March 2019. She is currently finishing a historical novel set in 1946 India and a collection of essays.

- Yale art historian and winner of the (Great) Indian Poetry Collective’s Emerging Poets Prize, Subhashini Kaligotla whose work has appeared in such journals as The Caravan, diode, LUMINA, New England Review, and The Literary Review. In 2018, Subhashini published her first book of poems Bird of the Indian Subcontinent, which owes its existence to New York City.

- Poet and novelist and winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Poetry Prize Monica Ferrell. An author of three books, her poetry collection You Darling Thing was named a New & Noteworthy selection by The New York Times.

- Poet, teacher and publisher of Yuganta Press, Ralph Nazareth is the author of four books of poems and lists his years doing poetry with ten-year olds in Stamford schools as among his most memorable.

- Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, raised in exile from Tibet in India is the author of a memoir published by Penguin India, and multiple poetry collections including the finalist for the Northern California Independent Bookseller’s Book of the Year Award for 2012.

- Poet/diplomat Indran Amirthanayagam who writes, translates, and publishes poetry and essays in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. He has published sixteen collections thus far, including the Elephants of Reckoning which won the 1994 Paterson Prize in the United States.

- Pushcart prize winning poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar has published, edited or has forthcoming over fifteen books, including the Muse India award-winning translations of 9th century Tamil poet/saint, Andal. He founded one of the world’s oldest electronic journals of the arts, Drunken Boat and has taught and performed around the world. His collaborative chapbook, 'A Field Guide to Southern China' written with T.S. Eliot Prize winner George Szirtes was just published in the UK August 2019.

The Children’s literature festival will run on both days - October 19 and 20th. We aim to create a space where children of bi-cultural heritage (ages 3-16) can access stories that will inform and inspire them by reflecting aspects of their identity and enrich them through the powers of imagination and experience. The festival not only serves to expand the world that they live in but will also provoke conversation by stretching the boundaries of imagination and story telling. The children’s program’s stellar line up of authors includes:

  • Veera Hiranandani - whose book The Night Diary is a 2019 Newbery Honor Award Winner and was named a 2018 Best Book of Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and The Chicago Public Library, among others.
  • Roopa Pai - One of India’s best-known authors for children with many national bestsellers including the 8-part Taranauts, India’s first original fantasy-adventure series for children in English and the award winning The Gita For Children, listed by Amazon among its list of ‘100 Indian Books To Read In A Lifetime’. Roopa will have an interactive session with adults and children on the ‘10 powerful ideas from ancient India’.
  • Sheetal Sheth - acclaimed actress who will be there with her first children's book, Always Anjali which won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize.
  • Mona Sehgal – Presents her first book, Under the African Sky, the story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, it highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict.
  • Kavita Bafana will read from Namaste Jaipur, part of the Namaste Series of books, a 6-part series that will bring the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images. Her interactive session will include a musical journey that brings young children to Jaipur using music, imagination and play.
  • Raakhee Mirchandani: Award-winning writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader whose work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post, Redbook and HuffPo. Super Satya Saves the Day is her first book and is inspired by her own fiery daughter Satya.

Throughout the festival, children are also encouraged to participate in entertaining and interactive workshops about cultural identity, empowerment and even folklore. Kulture Khazana will engage young ones in an interactive session about cultural identity and empowerment. Packed with their imaginations, music and imagery, Little Ustaads will transport young audiences to a far off magical place reminiscent of the Old Pink City of Jaipur. Not-to-be missed is The Culture Tree's performance of Ramleela, the story of Ram & Sita, through the art of puppeteering.

We will conclude the festival with the Expressions Contest, where kids of Indian heritage aged 4-16 will participate in a literary contest where they will express and interpret their heritage and experiences of growing up as bi-cultural kids in America. Details about the contest can be found here. Enjoy delicious Indian Food and desserts such as Kulfi as a perfect ending to the festival!

Links, Social Media, Photos, More
Authors Photos and Bios, Event Posters and more are downloadable at https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/

Social Media
Indo-American Arts Council
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iaac.us
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAArtsCouncil
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IAArtsCouncil

The Culture Tree
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCultureTreeNY
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCultureTree
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theculturetree/

Event Hashtags
#IAACLitFest
#WonderlandAtIAAC
#IndoAmericanArtsCouncil
#TheCultureTree

ABOUT INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL:
The Indo-American Arts Council supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here.

About The Culture Tree:
The Culture Tree promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through educational and cultural programs for children and their families to instill a deeper connection with their heritage and the world around them. For information please visit: www.theculturetree.com

Contact:
Suman Gollamudi
Media, Sponsorships & Public Relations
Indo-American Arts Council
suman.gn@iaac.us

Wonderland @IAAC

Children’s Literary Festival


Children's Authors and Participants



Adult Literary Festival


Literary Festival - Photos



Authors - Adult Literature



Poets



IAAC Children's Literary Festival 2019




IAAC Children's LitFest 2019 - Kavita Bafana


IAAC Children's LitFest 2019 - Monah Sehgal


IAAC Literary Festival 2019 - Anjali Sachdeva


IAAC LitFest 2019 - Kanchan Koya


IAAC LitFest 2019 - Poetry Evening Session


IAAC LitFest 2019 - Roopa Pai


IAAC Children's LitFest 2019 - Sheetel Sheth


IAAC Literary Festival 2019 - John Guy


Children’s IAAC Literary Festival 2019





Anupam Kher - Lessons Life Taught Me



Maya Lang session


Adult IAAC Literary Festival 2019







POETRY IAAC Literary Festival 2019

Children's literature festival in US focusses on books by authors from Indian diaspora

An award-winning book about a young Indian girl who learns to embrace her cultural identity and a story about an Indian-American superhero were some of the highlights of a children's literary festival held here.

Organised by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) last month, the 5th Annual Literature Festival festival was attended by nearly 30 authors.

The event included the first children's literature programme titled 'Wonderland@IAAC'.

The Council and The Culture Tree, which provides South Asian theme educational and cultural programmes, partnered together to organise the children's festival aimed at igniting young minds "in a way only words and thoughts can", the IAAC said.

Festival Director Nili Lakhani said the event celebrated works representing South Asian heritage and for the first time had a dedicated line-up of books for and about children.

"The need of the hour is diversity in youth literature and pioneering initiatives such as the children's lit festival help push forward important conversations and lead to a real change in children's literature publishing. Our vision is to create a place where Indian-American children see themselves reflected within the literature they read," Lakhani said.

Among the highlights of the festival were Kanchan Koya's 'The Spice Spice Baby Cookbook', a first-of-its-kind cookbook detailing the science of spices.

Koya, who has a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School, discussed the powerful benefits of spices and the need to use them in food for the family.

Sheetal Sheth talked about her first children's book 'Always Anjali', which won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize. The book is about a young bright girl who gets bullied for her "different" name but gradually learns to celebrate who she is and carry her name with pride and power.

Veera Hiranandani talked about her book The Night Diary', a 2019 Newbery Honor Award Winner and named Best Book of Year in 2018 by The New York Times and The Washington Post among others.

The book is a fictional account of one family's experience during the partition of India in 1947.

The festival's highlight also included Mona Sehgal's Under the African Sky', the story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood.

Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, it highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict.

The festival also presented the Ramleela Puppet Storytime show by The Culture Tree that celebrated the magic of Diwali through the art of puppeteering.

Award-winning writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader Raakhee Mirchandani's book talk was on her work Super Satya Saves the Day', which was inspired by her daughter Satya.

The book is about an Indian-American superhero, who is ready to save the day, even if she doesn't always know it right away. The animated story explores the inner hero in all children.

Author Roopa Pai, who flew in from India, presented an interactive session with her talk on The Ten Powerful Ideas From Ancient India' that explored modern day questions parents and children face everyday.

Emphasizing the need for more children's literature by Indian-American authors, the Culture Tree founder Anu Sehgal noted that there is a huge diversity gap in children's books.

She noted that people of colour make up 37 per cent of the US population, but only 10 per cent of children's books published in the past 21 years include multicultural content.

Through Wonderland our vision is to create a platform where children's books by authors from the Indian diaspora get the visibility they deserve. Additionally, we want Indian-American children to see themselves and their lives in literature. This will instill a deep sense of confidence and curiosity about their culture. Through festivals like this, we also offer cross-cultural exposure that can help develop knowledgeable, open-minded and respectful individuals, Sehgal said.

The festival was also attended by actor Anupam Kher who spoke about his newly released book Lessons Life Taught me, Unknowingly: An Autobiography.'

Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash also attended the festival.

URL: https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/children-s-literature-festival-in-us-focusses-on-books-by-authors-from-indian-diaspora-119111101324_1.html

Wonderland Children's Literary Festival

October 19, 2019 through October 20, 2019
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am-5:00pm.
Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University
New York
Pre-school & younger, Young elementary, Tween, Teen
$10

Event description:
A one of a kind literary festival for Indian-American children featuring award-winning authors, book fair, workshops, story times and cultural shows. This is a platform for children's literature from India and by authors of Indian origin. A space where Indian-American children can access stories that will inform and inspire them by reflecting aspects of their identity and culture. The Culture Tree, an organization that promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through educational and cultural programs, is hosting this festival in partnership with the The Indo-American Arts Council.

Address: 50 Washington Square S at 255 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212-582-9280
Website: https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/

  • The two-day IAAC literature festival proved that books are an important part of Indian-American life.
  • Indian authors for the newer generation of immigrant children are helping them find their place in the world.
IAAC literature festival

New York is a place of new beginnings and something innovative is always happening in the Big City. The digital age may have sounded the death knell of the printed word but we are in Manhattan, celebrating new books in a new country. Indian writers and books, long unsung in the mainstream, are getting their moment in the limelight with the Wonderland@IAAC literary festival which is the fifth such event organised by the Indo-American Arts Council.

Author Anjali Sachdeva with Nirmal and Tina Mattoo Author Anjali Sachdeva with Nirmal and Tina Mattoo.

Indeed, in today’s fast-changing world books are often taken for granted, not appreciated enough and not credited enough for the wonder they invoke. “Adbhuta Rasa is the rasa of mystery and wonderment,” noted Rakesh Kaul, the vice-president of the newly restructured Indo-American Arts Council. “It is in that spirit that we are excited to welcome our talented and globally recognised cast of writers. They will evoke a sense of surprise, wonder and pleasure in you through their literary creations."

This festival, organised by Indian-Americans for all those who love India, the Indian Diaspora and everything Indian in America, has had a good run in the past years, showcasing such stellar names as Salman Rushdie, Suketu Mehta, Madhur Jaffrey, Shashi Tharoor and the late Ram Jethmalani.

Nirmal Mattoo and Anupam Kher. Nirmal Mattoo and Anupam Kher.

Nearly 30 authors came together at the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University, for a two-day festival celebrating different genres of Indian writing including fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, fantasy and food writing. These authors examined many different themes including cultural identity and stories of immigration and finding their place in the world. From spice to art to science, every topic was covered.

This year there were some firsts added to the repertoire – a poetry session as well as a children’s literature programme. After all, what is life without poetry? A wine reception was replete with the poetry and poets of the South Asian Diaspora including Ravi Shankar, Diane Mehta, Pramila Venkateswaran, Rafiq Kathwari, Subashini Kaligotla, Kirun Kapur, Tsering Wangmo, Ralph Nazareth, Monica Farrell, IndranAmirthanayagm, and Jaswinder Bolina.

It takes all kinds of Indian-Americans to make the Indian diaspora, including little people who have until now had to make do with little representation in the book world. Indian authors for the newer generation of immigrant children are helping them find their place in the world and understanding their roots.

Readers got a chance to meet diverse authors, hear diverse voices:

Anuradha Bhagwati Anuradha Bhagwati.

The noted art curator John Guy who presented the exhibition of the little known but wonderful artist YG Srimati at the Met, has just published a book on her art which shows the links of her work to India’s freedom movement and at the same time as a fearless woman artist who lived life on her own terms.

Another book which was showcased at the festival was ‘The Limits of the World’, the debut novel by Jennifer Acker who is the founder and editor in chief of The Common – an immigration tale from the Indian enclave of Nairobi to America.

The festival celebrated Indian-American writers and their perspectives on life. Anuradha Bhagwati, author of ‘Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience’ is an activist, yoga and meditation teacher, and Marine Corps veteran. Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir What We Carry, is the first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants and the author of The Sixteenth of June.

Kanchan Koya Kanchan Koya.

A talk by Kanchan Koya, who has a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School and is the founder of Spice Spice Baby, was an eye-opening link to the healing power of spices. In her book she does a deep dive into 15 spices and their science-backed benefits and shares a hundred recipes to demystify spices for the home cook.

Emphasis on future readers

Anjali Sachdeva talked about her elegant debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, which is the winner of the 2019 Chautauqua Prize and was selected as a best book of 2018 by NPR. In the introduction to her intriguing nine short stories, she writes about life, “Wonder and terror meet at the horizon, and we walk the knife-edge between them.”

Anjali Sachdeva Anjali Sachdeva.

Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir, Rakesh Kaul, has written an intriguing new novel titled ‘Dawn, the Warrior Princess of Kashmir’, a science fiction saga which takes you into the future, to Kashmir where many stories begin.

In an in-depth discussion, he said that he was attempting to create a whole new universe in each chapter: “I am honouring the feminine, which is in you and me. The story, in a sense, attempts to honour the feminine energy - shakti - which is in all of us.”

Actor Anupam Kher who is currently starring in NBC’s ‘New Amsterdam’ series and has over 500 films to his credit, has the new book Lessons Life Taught me, Unknowingly, after his inspirational book, The Best Thing about You is You. The new one takes on the scepter of failure and turns it into a conquering sword. In a chat with Nirmal Mattoo, the president of IAAC, Kher spoke engagingly about his life, tough times and the power of humour in facing life.

Perhaps the most refreshing part of the festival was the emphasis placed on the future readers (and leaders) of America. The children’s lineup was presented with The Culture Tree founded by Anu Sehgal.

Jaswinder Bolina Jaswinder Bolina.

“We all know there is a huge diversity gap in children’s books in America. People of colour make up 37 percent of the US population, but only 10 percent of children’s books published in the past 21 years include multicultural content,” noted Sehgal.

There was a superb line-up of Indian-American authors who through their children’s books address issues of roots and growth, racism and identity. All these authors grew up in a very different America and are finding positive answers for their own young children in a changing country.

Raakhee Mirchandani: Award-winning writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader whose book Super Satya Saves the Day is inspired by her own spunky daughter Satya, a cancer survivor. Mona Sehgal’s book Under the African Sky, the story of an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with his American childhood.

Ravi Shankar. Ravi Shankar.

Veera Hiranandani whose book The Night Diary is a 2019 New bery Honor Award winner and was named a 2018 Best Book of the Year by the New York Times; noted actor Sheetal Sheth with her first children’s book Always Anjali which has won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize.

A taste of homeland

Authors from India are also giving American children a taste of their homeland: Kavita Bafana introduced Namaste Jaipur, part of the Namaste Series of books; Roopa Pai, author of the eight-part Taranauts, India’s first original fantasy-adventure series for children in English and the award-winning The Gita For Children, listed by Amazon among its list of ‘100 Indian Books To Read In A Lifetime’.

Rakesh Kaul Rakesh Kaul.

For young readers there were interactive sessions by Kulture Khazana, Little Ustaads and Culture Tree’s performance of Ramleela through puppets. The festival concluded with awards for young people in a literary contest about growing up bicultural in America, presented by the Consul General of India Sandeep Chakrovorty, Anupam Kher and sarod master Amjad Ali Khan.

There was even a Hindi touch in this festival of books in English with a talk by Susham Bedi, author of nine Hindi novels and short story collections. Maybe other regional languages will be added in future festivals.

The two-day IAAC literature festival proved that books are an important part of Indian-American life, with many new authors of adult and children’s books sharing their American experience through words.

URL: https://www.cnbctv18.com/views/indian-americans-in-wonderland-a-book-universe-highlights-desi-immigrant-tales-in-new-york-4624971.htm

IAAC

NY Celebrates Diversity in Literature at the
WONDERLAND@IAAC Literary Festival
Dignitaries from the literature world descend on the one-of-a-kind literary festival,
featuring award-winning Indian-American authors, poets and performances

At the 5th Annual IAAC Literary Festival, the Indo-American Arts Council celebrated literary works representing South Asian heritage. On October 19 and 20, authors and poets, all of them multiple award-winning and acclaimed in their own right, participated in talks and readings, making it an unforgettable experience for adults and children alike. Festival Director Nili Lakhani said that in addition to the Adult Lit festival, "The need of the hour is diversity in youth literature and pioneering initiatives such as the children's lit festival help push forward important conversations and lead to a real change in children's literature publishing. Our vision is to create a place where Indian-American children see themselves reflected within the literature they read".

At the festival -
— Kanchan Koya presented The Spice Spice Baby Cookbook, a first-of-its-kind cookbook detailing the science of spices. She held the audience's attention by debunking myths, discussing the powerful benefits of the spices and inspired the attendees to cook with the spices.

— Renowned scholar and curator at the MET Museum, John Guy, shared his extensive knowledge of South Asian art with a visually stunning presentation, detailing his book Art and Independence: Y. G. Srimati and the Indian Style

— Anjali Sachdeva talked about growing up between two cultures, how her debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, Best book of 2018 by NPR, written over 12 years, came to be, the common thread between the stories, how it was written and more

— Jennifer Acker, author of the debut novel The Limits of the World, was in conversation with Megha Majumdar, the associate editor at Catapult. She spoke about how the book is framed by family that has moved to a new continent almost every generation, to India, East Africa and then to the US. Spanning four generations and three continents, the book illuminates the vast mosaic of cultural divisions and ethical considerations that shape the ways in which people judge others' actions

— Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir, Rakesh Kaul was in conversation with Gabriela Nik Ilieva, Director of the South Asian Languages program at NYU. The festival featured the NY launch of Dawn: The Warrior Princess of Kashmir, a sci-fi saga that reveals eternal truths as it traverses the terrains of the Kashmir Valley, the birthplace of the greatest stories ever. In this Dystopian story, the protagonist seeks out secrets hidden in the Niti folk tales of Kashmir and unlock the powers within her to become the ultimate warrior.

— Susham Bedi, who currently teaches Modern Indian Literature at City University of New York and previously taught at Columbia University, held a very engaging talk with Gabriela and spoke of her journey and her work in Hindi Literature which has been widely translated.

— Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir What We Carry, presented an intimate and personal account of her relationship with her mother in conversation with IAAC Chairman Dr. Mattoo. The talk left the audience in a very emotional state.

— Actor Anupam Kher held the audience in rapt attention during his chat about his new book Lessons Life Taught me, Unknowingly: An Autobiography. The crowd was entertained and inspired with the stories and snippets he shared from his life. On the occasion, he said: "Thank you, Indo-American Arts Council for launching my book with so much of warmth. Thank you, Dr. Mattoo for being such a generous moderator. And having Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan in the audience was my ultimate high and honor."
Amjad Ali Khan

This year, IAAC also celebrated the 1st Annual Wonderland@IAAC Children's Literary Festival. The Indo-American Arts Council and The Culture Tree partnered together to program a festival that helped ignite young minds in a way only words and thoughts can.

Speaking at the event, Anu Sehgal, Founder of The Culture Tree, said, "Our mission is to provide Cultural Literacy specially on South Asia. As cultural educators, we are looking to providing children with authentic, immersive, fun and inspiring experiences. This fall we have introduced puppet shows and a literary festival that will take cross-cultural learning a different level. Through events like these, we can offer cross-cultural exposure that can help shape knowledgeable, open-minded and respectful individuals. We all know there is a huge diversity gap in children's books in America. People of color make up 37% of the U.S. population, but only 10% of children's books published in the past 21 years include multicultural content. We want books that our kids read to be Windows into a new world, but we also want them to be MIRRORS into their heritage and their experiences, something that is extremely empowering!"

The authors who participated in this session were:

— Veera Hiranandani with her Newbery award winning The Night Diary, A fictional account of one family's experience during the partition of India into two countries in 1947. The story is told in the form of diary entries written by the main character, Nisha, beginning on her 12th birthday, addressed to her deceased mother. Moderating Veera Hiranandani's session was Namrata Tripathi, Publisher at Kokila Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, which publishes inclusive books for children and young adults across all formats and genres.

— Celebrated author Roopa Pai, who flew in from India, presented an interactive session with her talk on The Ten Powerful Ideas From Ancient India that explores modern day questions parents and children face everyday Publisher of Kokila Books
From Left to Right Actress and Author Sheetal Sheth, Author Veera Hiranandani and Namrata Tripathi, Publisher of Kokila Books.

— Actress Sheetal Sheth with her first children's book Always Anjali, which won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize

— Mona Sehgal, with her debut novel Under the African Sky. The story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, the story also highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict. The session was followed by the acclaimed Ramleela Puppet Storytime show presented by The Culture Tree. Through the art of puppeteering, the children celebrated the magic of Diwali while learning the true meaning of devotion, love, kindness and valor.

— Kavita Bafana, who presented the cultural show Little Ustaads and read from Namaste Jaipur part of the Namaste series of books, a six-part series that brings the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images. Her interactive session included a musical journey that brought young children to Jaipur using music, imagination and play.

— Raakhee Mirchandani, a crusader against pediatric cancer, brought to the children, the story of Super Satya Saves the Day, a brilliantly animated story that explores the inner hero in all children

— Akruti Babaria, Founder of Kulture Khazana, which made the festival even more fun by incorporating song and dance into the sessions, had this to say, "This is a phenomenal platform to bring creatives together for our children, passing down heritage and sharing stories about Indian culture. Everyone has a story and every child loves a good story.we need to make sure our children see themselves in these stories and grow up to be fearless to tell theirs!"

Attendee Havisha Karihaloo, who flew in from Houston, said of the event: "Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity for Indian heritage kids. wrapping this travel with peace in heart and an experience that will last. Hope to you bring this to other cities soon."

The awards for the Expressions literary contest for children were given out by Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty, who provided his support to the festival and encouraged IAAC to take the literary festival to other cities. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion and gave away the awards were actor Anupam Kher, Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash. Director of the South Asian Languages Program at NYU Gabriela Nik Ileva provided extensive support to all aspects of planning and execution of the festival as IAAC forged a new partnership with the Hagop Kevorkian Center at New York University.

The winners of the Expressions Literary Contest for children at the Wonderland@IAAC Literary Festival were:

Uma Tiwari, 5 years, Drawing
Vikram Sethi, 7 years, Hamare Gandhiji poem
Nikhil Sethi, 10 years, Interpretation of Eidgah
Dev Lakhani, 11 years, Drawing
Sahana Dhama, 13 years, essay

Ravi Shankar, poet extraordinaire and a diaspora Icon, led an evening of poetry reading at the end of the inaugural day. Poets from all over the world participated in this one-of-a-kind experience for the audience. Guests mingled, had book conversations and got their books signed at the post event wine reception. Poets who participated include:

— The Green Rose Prize in Poetry winner Jaswinder Bolina. His first collection of essays, Of Color, is being released in March 2020.

— The poet laureate of Suffolk County, Long Island, Pramila Venkateswaran. She is also the 2011 Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Long Island Poet of the Year.

— Kirun Kapur, named by NBCNews on their 2015 list of Asian-American Poets to Watch.

— The first non-Irishman to win the Patrack Kavanaugh Prize, Kashmiri-born Rafiq Kathwari.

— Former editor at PEN America, Guernica, and A Public Space, Diane Mehta whose debut poetry collection, Forest with Castanets, came out in March 2019.

-Yale art historian and winner of the (Great) Indian Poetry Collective's Emerging Poets Prize, Subhashini Kaligotla who read from her first book of poems ,Bird of the Indian Subcontinent.

— Poet and novelist and winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Poetry Prize Monica Ferrell whose poetry collection You Darling Thing was named a New & Noteworthy selection by The New York Times.

— Poet, teacher and publisher of Yuganta Press, Ralph Nazareth who is the author of four books of poems.

— Tsering Wangmo Dhompa who has multiple poetry collections and is the finalist for the 2012 Northern California Independent Bookseller's Book of the Year Award.

— Poet/diplomat Indran Amirthanayagam who has published sixteen collections thus far, including the Elephants of Reckoning which won the 1994 Paterson Prize in the United States.

-Pushcart prize winning poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar who has published, edited or has forthcoming over fifteen books, including the Muse India award-winning translations of 9th century Tamil poet/saint, Andal. His collaborative chapbook, 'A Field Guide to Southern China' written with T.S. Eliot Prize winner George Szirtes was just published in the UK August 2019.

Speaking about the event, Festival Director Suman Gollamudi, said: "To say that the festival was successful would be an understatement. Everybody came together to celebrate the work these authors and writers are bringing to the diaspora community. It was a wonderful two days of a community bonding over literature. We thank our friends, donors, the Board, the Advisory Council and the staff who have worked tirelessly to make the event a success."

Wonderland@IAAC Literary Festival

IAAC Vice Chairman Rakesh Kaul concluded, "The Indo-American Arts Council is playing a very useful role in bringing to the forefront and making the Indian diaspora aware of these shining jewels in the community. We are delighted to collaborate with The Culture Tree on youth literature and to bring to the children, a sense of wonder through the books. We are looking forward to a continued success in providing a platform for Indian-Americans to see themselves in the stories which represent them. We aim for the festival to be a benchmark in celebrating diversity in South Asian literature." IAAC Festival Director

Links, Social Media, Photos, More
Authors Photos and Bios, Event Posters and more are downloadable at
https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/
Photos: https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#photos-child
https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#photos
Videos: https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#videos

Social Media
Indo-American Arts Council
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iaac.us
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAArtsCouncil
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IAArtsCouncil

The Culture Tree:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCultureTreeNY
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCultureTree
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theculturetree/

Event Hashtags
#IAACLitFest
#WonderlandAtIAAC
#IndoAmericanArtsCouncil
#TheCultureTree

ABOUT INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL:
The Indo-American Arts Council supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here.

About The Culture Tree:
The Culture Tree promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through educational and cultural programs for children and their families to instill a deeper connection with their heritage and the world around them. For information please visit: www.theculturetree.com

URL: https://www.facebook.com/474965349245213/posts/3159766507431737?sfns=mo

Wonderland@IAAC Literature Fest
From left, actress and author Sheetal Sheth, author Veera Hiranandani and Namrata Tripathi, publisher of Kokila Books at the 5th Annual IAAC Literary Festival hosted by the Indo-American Arts Council at the Hagop Kevrokian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU in Manhattan, Oct. 20

Celebrated authors and poets participated in talks and readings at the 5th Annual IAAC Literary Festival hosted by the Indo-American Arts Council at the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU in Manhattan, Oct. 19 and 20. The two-day festival included several discussions, book launches and readings as well as the first children’s literary festival, held in partnership with The Culture Tree.

Kanchan Koya presented “The Spice Spice Baby Cookbook,” a first-of-its-kind cookbook detailing the science of spices. She held the audience's attention by debunking myths, discussing the powerful benefits of the spices and inspired the attendees to cook with the spices.

Renowned scholar and curator at the MET Museum, John Guy, shared his extensive knowledge of South Asian art with a visually stunning presentation, detailing his book “Art and Independence: Y. G. Srimati and the Indian Style.”

Anjali Sachdeva talked about growing up between two cultures, how her debut short story collection, “All the Names They Used for God,” written over 12 years, came to be, the common thread between the stories, how it was written and more

Jennifer Acker, author of the debut novel “The Limits of the World,” was in conversation with Megha Majumdar, the associate editor at Catapult. Acker spoke about how the book is framed by family that has moved to a new continent almost every generation, to India, East Africa and then to the U.S.

Susham Bedi, who currently teaches Modern Indian Literature at City University of New York and previously taught at Columbia University, held an engaging talk with Ilieva and spoke of her journey and her work in Hindi Literature which has been widely translated.

Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir “What We Carry,” presented an intimate and personal account of her relationship with her mother in conversation with IAAC chairman Dr. Nirmal Mattoo.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher held the audience in rapt attention during his chat about his new book “Lessons Life Taught me, Unknowingly: An Autobiography.”

Rakesh Kaul’s “Dawn: The Warrior Princess of Kashmir,” was launched at the festival. The book, a sci-fi saga, reveals eternal truths as it traverses the terrains of the Kashmir Valley. Kaul also engaged in a conversation with Gabriela Nik Ilieva, director of the South Asian Languages program at NYU.

Wonderland@IAAC Literature Fest
From left, Amman Ali Bangash, Ayaan Ali Bangash, Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan, Rohan Narine from the NYC Mayor's Office, Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty, IAAC festival director Nili Lakhani, Anupam Kher, The Culture Tree Founder Anu Sehgal, Kulture khazana Founder Akruti Babaria, IAAC chairman Dr. Nirmal Mattoo and IAAC Board Member Rajeev Kaul with the children who participated and won the Expressions Children's Literary Contest.

Speaking at the children’s festival, Anu Sehgal, founder of The Culture Tree, said the group’s mission is to provide cultural literacy to kids, especially on South Asia. “As cultural educators, we are looking to providing children with authentic, immersive, fun and inspiring experiences,” she said.

Authors who participated in this session included Veera Hiranandani with her Newbery award- winning “The Night Diary,” a fictional account of one family's experience during the partition of India into two countries in 1947; Roopa Pai, who flew in from India, presented an interactive session with her talk on ‘The Ten Powerful Ideas From Ancient India’ that explores modern day questions parents and children face every day; actress Sheetal Sheth with her first children’s book “Always Anjali”; and Mona Sehgal with her debut novel “Under the African Sky.”

The session was followed by the acclaimed ‘Ramleela Puppet Story Time’ show presented by The Culture Tree, followed by Kavita Bafana, who presented the cultural show ‘Little Ustaads’ and read from “Namaste Jaipur” part of the Namaste series of books, a six-part series that brings the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images.

Raakhee Mirchandani, a crusader against pediatric cancer, brought to the children “Super Satya Saves the Day,” an animated story that explores the inner hero in all children.

Winners of the Expressions Literary Contest for children were also felicitated.

Ravi Shankar, poet extraordinaire and a diaspora icon, led an evening of poetry reading at the end of the inaugural day. Poets from all over the world participated in this one-of-a-kind experience for the audience. Guests mingled, had book conversations and got their books signed at the post event wine reception.

Poets who participated were Jaswinder Bolina, Suffolk County poet laureate Pramila Venkateswaran, Kirun Kapur, Rafiq Kathwari, Diane Mehta, Subhashini Kaligotla, Ralph Nazareth, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa and Indran Amirthanayagam.

 

URL: https://www.indiaabroad.com/indian-americans/authors-poets-performances-at-indo-american-arts-council-s-literary/article_3daf6cd6-f779-11e9-9187-af88eec27dae.html

Wonderland@IAAC Literature Fest

New York

At the 5th Annual IAAC Literary Festival, the Indo-American Arts Council celebrated literary works representing South Asian heritage. On October 19 and 20, authors and poets, all of them multiple award-winning and acclaimed in their own right, participated in talks and readings, making it an unforgettable experience for adults and children alike. Festival Director Nili Lakhani said that in addition to the Adult Lit festival, "The need of the hour is diversity in youth literature and pioneering initiatives such as the children's lit festival help push forward important conversations and lead to a real change in children's literature publishing. Our vision is to create a place where Indian-American children see themselves reflected within the literature they read".

At the festival -
— Kanchan Koya presented The Spice Spice Baby Cookbook, a first-of-its-kind cookbook detailing the science of spices. She held the audience's attention by debunking myths, discussing the powerful benefits of the spices and inspired the attendees to cook with the spices.

— Renowned scholar and curator at the MET Museum, John Guy, shared his extensive knowledge of South Asian art with a visually stunning presentation, detailing his book
Art and Independence: Y. G. Srimati and the Indian Style

— Anjali Sachdeva talked about growing up between two cultures, how her debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, Best book of 2018 by NPR, written over 12 years, came to be, the common thread between the stories, how it was written and more

— Jennifer Acker, author of the debut novel The Limits of the World, was in conversation with Megha Majumdar, the associate editor at Catapult. She spoke about how the book is framed by family that has moved to a new continent almost every generation, to India, East Africa and then to the US. Spanning four generations and three continents, the book illuminates the vast mosaic of cultural divisions and ethical considerations that shape the ways in which people judge others' actions

— Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir, Rakesh Kaul was in conversation with Gabriela Nik Ilieva, Director of the South Asian Languages program at NYU. The festival featured the NY launch of Dawn: The Warrior Princess of Kashmir, a sci-fi saga that reveals eternal truths as it traverses the terrains of the Kashmir Valley, the birthplace of the greatest stories ever. In this Dystopian story, the protagonist seeks out secrets hidden in the Niti folk tales of Kashmir and unlock the powers within her to become the ultimate warrior.

— Susham Bedi, who currently teaches Modern Indian Literature at City University of New York and previously taught at Columbia University, held a very engaging talk with Gabriela and spoke of her journey and her work in Hindi Literature which has been widely translated.

— Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir What We Carry, presented an intimate and personal account of her relationship with her mother in conversation with IAAC Chairman Dr. Mattoo. The talk left the audience in a very emotional state.

— Actor Anupam Kher held the audience in rapt attention during his chat about his new book Lessons Life Taught me, Unknowingly: An Autobiography. The crowd was entertained and inspired with the stories and snippets he shared from his life. On the occasion, he said: "Thank you, Indo-American Arts Council for launching my book with so much of warmth. Thank you, Dr. Mattoo for being such a generous moderator. And having Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan in the audience was my ultimate high and honor."

This year, IAAC also celebrated the 1st Annual Wonderland@IAAC Children's Literary Festival. The Indo-American Arts Council and The Culture Tree partnered together to program a festival that helped ignite young minds in a way only words and thoughts can.

Speaking at the event, Anu Sehgal, Founder of The Culture Tree, said, "Our mission is to provide Cultural Literacy specially on South Asia. As cultural educators, we are looking to providing children with authentic, immersive, fun and inspiring experiences. This fall we have introduced puppet shows and a literary festival that will take cross-cultural learning a different level. Through events like these, we can offer cross-cultural exposure that can help shape knowledgeable, open-minded and respectful individuals. We all know there is a huge diversity gap in children's books in America. People of color make up 37% of the U.S. population, but only 10% of children's books published in the past 21 years include multicultural content. We want books that our kids read to be Windows into a new world, but we also want them to be MIRRORS into their heritage and their experiences, something that is extremely empowering!"

The authors who participated in this session were:

— Veera Hiranandani with her Newbery award winning The Night Diary, A fictional account of one family's experience during the partition of India into two countries in 1947. The story is told in the form of diary entries written by the main character, Nisha, beginning on her 12th birthday, addressed to her deceased mother. Moderating Veera Hiranandani's session was Namrata Tripathi, Publisher at Kokila Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, which publishes inclusive books for children and young adults across all formats and genres.

— Celebrated author Roopa Pai, who flew in from India, presented an interactive session with her talk on The Ten Powerful Ideas From Ancient India that explores modern day questions parents and children face everyday

— Actress Sheetal Sheth with her first children's book Always Anjali, which won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize

— Mona Sehgal, with her debut novel Under the African Sky. The story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, the story also highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict. The session was followed by the acclaimed Ramleela Puppet Storytime show presented by The Culture Tree. Through the art of puppeteering, the children celebrated the magic of Diwali while learning the true meaning of devotion, love, kindness and valor.

— Kavita Bafana, who presented the cultural show Little Ustaads and read from Namaste Jaipur part of the Namaste series of books, a six-part series that brings the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images. Her interactive session included a musical journey that brought young children to Jaipur using music, imagination and play.

— Raakhee Mirchandani, a crusader against pediatric cancer, brought to the children, the story of Super Satya Saves the Day, a brilliantly animated story that explores the inner hero in all children

— Akruti Babaria, Founder of Kulture Khazana, which made the festival even more fun by incorporating song and dance into the sessions, had this to say, "This is a phenomenal platform to bring creatives together for our children, passing down heritage and sharing stories about Indian culture. Everyone has a story and every child loves a good story.we need to make sure our children see themselves in these stories and grow up to be fearless to tell theirs!"

Attendee Havisha Karihaloo, who flew in from Houston, said of the event: "Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity for Indian heritage kids. wrapping this travel with peace in heart and an experience that will last. Hope to you bring this to other cities soon."

The awards for the Expressions literary contest for children were given out by Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty, who provided his support to the festival and encouraged IAAC to take the literary festival to other cities. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion and gave away the awards were actor Anupam Kher, Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash. Director of the South Asian Languages Program at NYU Gabriela Nik Ileva provided extensive support to all aspects of planning and execution of the festival as IAAC forged a new partnership with the Hagop Kevorkian Center at New York University.

The winners of the Expressions Literary Contest for children at the Wonderland@IAAC Literary Festival were:

Uma Tiwari, 5 years, Drawing
Vikram Sethi, 7 years, Hamare Gandhiji poem
Nikhil Sethi, 10 years, Interpretation of Eidgah
Dev Lakhani, 11 years, Drawing
Sahana Dhama, 13 years, essay

Ravi Shankar, poet extraordinaire and a diaspora Icon, led an evening of poetry reading at the end of the inaugural day. Poets from all over the world participated in this one-of-a-kind experience for the audience. Guests mingled, had book conversations and got their books signed at the post event wine reception. Poets who participated include:

— The Green Rose Prize in Poetry winner Jaswinder Bolina. His first collection of essays, Of Color, is being released in March 2020.

— The poet laureate of Suffolk County, Long Island, Pramila Venkateswaran. She is also the 2011 Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Long Island Poet of the Year.

— Kirun Kapur, named by NBCNews on their 2015 list of Asian-American Poets to Watch.

— The first non-Irishman to win the Patrack Kavanaugh Prize, Kashmiri-born Rafiq Kathwari.

— Former editor at PEN America, Guernica, and A Public Space, Diane Mehta whose debut poetry collection, Forest with Castanets, came out in March 2019.

— Yale art historian and winner of the (Great) Indian Poetry Collective's Emerging Poets Prize, Subhashini Kaligotla who read from her first book of poems ,Bird of the Indian Subcontinent.

— Poet and novelist and winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Poetry Prize Monica Ferrell whose poetry collection You Darling Thing was named a New & Noteworthy selection by The New York Times.

— Poet, teacher and publisher of Yuganta Press, Ralph Nazareth who is the author of four books of poems.

— Tsering Wangmo Dhompa who has multiple poetry collections and is the finalist for the 2012 Northern California Independent Bookseller's Book of the Year Award.

— Poet/diplomat Indran Amirthanayagam who has published sixteen collections thus far, including the Elephants of Reckoning which won the 1994 Paterson Prize in the United States.

— Pushcart prize winning poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar who has published, edited or has forthcoming over fifteen books, including the Muse India award-winning translations of 9th century Tamil poet/saint, Andal. His collaborative chapbook, 'A Field Guide to Southern China' written with T.S. Eliot Prize winner George Szirtes was just published in the UK August 2019.

Speaking about the event, Festival Director Suman Gollamudi, said: "To say that the festival was successful would be an understatement. Everybody came together to celebrate the work these authors and writers are bringing to the diaspora community. It was a wonderful two days of a community bonding over literature. We thank our friends, donors, the Board, the Advisory Council and the staff who have worked tirelessly to make the event a success."

IAAC Vice Chairman Rakesh Kaul concluded, "The Indo-American Arts Council is playing a very useful role in bringing to the forefront and making the Indian diaspora aware of these shining jewels in the community. We are delighted to collaborate with The Culture Tree on youth literature and to bring to the children, a sense of wonder through the books. We are looking forward to a continued success in providing a platform for Indian-Americans to see themselves in the stories which represent them. We aim for the festival to be a benchmark in celebrating diversity in South Asian literature."

Links, Social Media, Photos, More
Authors Photos and Bios, Event Posters and more are downloadable at
https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/
Photos: https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#photos-child
https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#photos
Videos: https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival/#videos

Social Media
Indo-American Arts Council
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iaac.us
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAArtsCouncil
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IAArtsCouncil

The Culture Tree:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCultureTreeNY
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCultureTree
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theculturetree/

Event Hashtags

#IAACLitFest
#WonderlandAtIAAC
#IndoAmericanArtsCouncil
#TheCultureTree

ABOUT INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL:
The Indo-American Arts Council supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here.

About The Culture Tree:
The Culture Tree promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through educational and cultural programs for children and their families to instill a deeper connection with their heritage and the world around them. For information please visit: www.theculturetree.com

Contact:

Suman Gollamudi
Media, Sponsorships & Public Relations
Indo-American Arts Council
suman.gn@iaac.us

URL: http://www.indialife.us/article.php?id=126181

NY Celebrates Diversity in Literature at the WONDERLAND@IAAC Literary Festival

Wonderland@IAAC Literature Fest

Wonderland@IAAC Literature Fest

One of a kind Literary Festival featuring Award-winning Indian-American Authors, Workshops, Poetry sessions and more

Wonderland@IAAC Literature Fest

The Indo-american Arts Council presents a whole section on children literature at the annual Literary Festival this year. Aptly themed ‘Wonderland at IAAC’, it is amongst the very first Indian-american children’s literary festival in the US. Presented in partnership with The Culture Tree, it is a part of the larger IAAC Literary festival that will also feature Adult Literature and Poetry.

Schedule:
10:00 am - 10:50 am Raakhee Mirchandani
Book Read: Super Satya
Kulture Kazana: Interactive Show

11:15 am - 12:45 pm Expressions Contest

URL: https://stepoutside.org/event/iaac-literary-festival-2019-10-20-new-york-ny.html

The Indo-American Arts Council announces the 5th Annual Literature Festival, this year aptly themed, 'Wonderland@IAAC'. One of the premier celebrations of works influenced by the Indian sub continent, this year, the festival is larger than ever with not only a stellar Adult Literature lineup but also the first Children’s literature program and a wide selection of Poetry.

Nearly 30 authors and participants from across a spectrum of genres and topics will come together with hundreds of book enthusiasts on Saturday October 19 from 10am-6:30pm and Sunday October 20 from 10am–6:45pm at the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University, 255 Sullivan Street, New York, NY 10012.

The IAAC Literary Festival is one of New York’s premier celebrations of Indian-American literature. With two days of book talks, book signings, lively cultural shows, activities, private receptions and more, the program is sure to satisfy book enthusiasts across topics, interests and genres including literary fiction, non- fiction, mysteries, thrillers, fantasy, adventure, memoirs, poetry, food writing and children’s books. Cultural identity, immigrant stories and challenging cultural norms is a theme that will be explored in both the children’s and adult literature line up and will engage young readers who are searching for their place in the world.

Internationally acclaimed emcee, poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar, acclaimed as “ One of America’s finest younger poets” by the late CT State Poet Laureate Dick Allen and called “a diaspora icon as well as bête noir” in The Hindu, will introduce an array of extraordinary South Asian voices that will resonate long into the reception featuring wine and cheese, and book signings.

The first ever children’s lineup at the Indo-American Art Council’s Literature Festival is being presented in partnership with The Culture Tree whose founder Anu Sehgal noted “We all know there is a huge diversity gap in children’s books. Through Wonderland our vision is to create a platform where children’s books by authors from the Indian diaspora get the visibility they deserve. Additionally, we want Indian-American children to see themselves and their lives in literature. This will instill a deep sense of confidence and curiosity about their culture. Through festivals like this, we also offer cross-cultural exposure that can help develop knowledgeable, open-minded and respectful individuals.”

Wonderland @IAAC

IAAC Vice Chairman Rakesh Kaul said of the festival “Adbhuta Rasa is the rasa of mystery and wonderment. Descartes stated that Wonder is the first passion. It is in that spirit that we are excited to welcome our talented and globally recognized cast of writers. They will evoke a sense of surprise, wonder and pleasure in you through their literary creations.”

Headlining the Adult Literature Program will be:

  • Kanchan Koya who is the founder of Spice Spice Baby, a platform dedicated to shedding light on the healing potential of spices, demystifying them for a global audience, and inspiring their use in food for the whole family. She has a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School and is part of the Creators Program at Buzzfeed.
  • A renowned curator and scholar, John Guy has published widely on South Asian art and curated a number of ground-breaking exhibitions at The Met, most recently Encountering Vishnu: The Lion Avatar in Indian Temple Performance (2016), Y.G. Srimati and the Indian Style (2017) and Vajra Masters: Ritual Art of Nepal (2018). Previously, he served as senior curator of Indian art at the Victoria and Albert Museum London for 22 years.
  • Anjali Sachdeva’s debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, is the winner of the 2019 Chautauqua Prize, was longlisted for the 2018 Story Prize, and was selected as a best book of 2018 by NPR. The New York Times Book Review called the collection “strange and wonderful.”.
  • Jennifer Acker is founder and editor in chief of The Common, and author of the debut novel The Limits of the World. Her short stories, essays, translations, and reviews have appeared in Amazon Original Stories, Washington Post and The Yale Review among other places.
  • Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir, Rakesh Kaul, notably, after a several years hunt, recovered the Tengapura Durga, the oldest continuously worshipped Durga in the world from the German government for India. He served as Co-Chairman of The Arts of Kashmir Exhibition at Asia Society NY. He is a noted speaker and writer on the arts, culture and history of Kashmir.
  • Susham Bedi currently teaches Modern Indian Literature at City University of New York and previously taught at Columbia University. She is the author of nine major Hindi language novels as well as 4 short story collections and poetry. Her works are thus located squarely in the South Asian diaspora and immigrant experience.

  • Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir What We Carry, is the first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants and the author of The Sixteenth of June.
  • BAFTA award nominee, Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan National awards winner, Actor Anupam Kher is one of the lead actors on NBC’s hit TV show New Amsterdam. He has acted in over 500 films and 100 plays in under 35 years, many of them blockbuster films. He has featured in Hollywood films such as Silver Linings Playbook, Hotel Mumbai, The Big Sick and has worked with directors Ang Lee, David O Russell, Woody Allen, Gurinder Chaddha and The Wachowskis. As an author he was ranked 17th amongst top 200 best global authors for his best-selling inspirational book The Best thing About You Is You which has been translated in 6 languages and is in its 20th edition.
  • Anuradha Bhagwati is a writer, activist, yoga and meditation teacher, and Marine Corps veteran. She is a regular media commentator on issues related to national security, women’s rights, civil rights, and mental health, and is the recipient of numerous awards. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, Foreign Affairs, and The New Republic.

Wonderland @IAAC

Celebrate the perfect end to the inaugural day of the Festival, on Saturday Oct 19 4:30pm, by enjoying some poetry from around the subcontinent and joining us for refreshments, conversation, book signings and photo opportunities. The rich poetry tradition of the Indian subcontinent stretches back for centuries and includes such crucial voices from Kabir to Kalidasa, Andal to Tagore, and this evening will showcase what the new generation of Indian and diaspora writers are doing to stretch the bounds of poetic discourse and probe what it means to be brown in America today. Rejoice in the actuality of diversity in literature by supporting these disparate poets as they perform from their latest works and engage with the audience. We are excited to welcome to the stage such diverse writers as

– The Green Rose Prize in Poetry winner Jaswinder Bolina who is the author of three full-length collections of poetry. His first collection of essays, Of Color, is being released in March 2020.

– The poet laureate of Suffolk County, Long Island, Pramila Venkateswaran. An award winning poet, she has performed poetry internationally, including at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival and the Festival Internacional De Poesia De Granada. She is also the 2011 Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Long Island Poet of the Year.

Kirun Kapur, named by NBCNews on their 2015 list of Asian-American Poets to Watch. Her work has appeared in AGNI, Poetry International, FIELD, Prairie Schooner and many other journals.

– The first non-Irishman to win the Patrack Kavanaugh Prize, Kashmiri-born Rafiq Kathwari has an MFA from Columbia University and divides his time between New York, Dublin and Kashmir.

– Former editor at PEN America, Guernica, and A Public Space, Diane Mehta’s debut poetry collection, Forest with Castanets, came out in March 2019. She is currently finishing a historical novel set in 1946 India and a collection of essays.

– Yale art historian and winner of the (Great) Indian Poetry Collective’s Emerging Poets Prize, Subhashini Kaligotla whose work has appeared in such journals as The Caravan, diode, LUMINA, New England Review, and The Literary Review. In 2018, Subhashini published her first book of poems Bird of the Indian Subcontinent, which owes its existence to New York City.

– Poet and novelist and winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Poetry Prize Monica Ferrell. An author of three books, her poetry collection You Darling Thing was named a New & Noteworthy selection by The New York Times.

– Poet, teacher and publisher of Yuganta Press, Ralph Nazareth is the author of four books of poems and lists his years doing poetry with ten-year olds in Stamford schools as among his most memorable.

Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, raised in exile from Tibet in India is the author of a memoir published by Penguin India, and multiple poetry collections including the finalist for the Northern California Independent Bookseller’s Book of the Year Award for 2012.

– Poet/diplomat Indran Amirthanayagam who writes, translates, and publishes poetry and essays in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. He has published sixteen collections thus far, including the Elephants of Reckoning which won the 1994 Paterson Prize in the United States.

– Pushcart prize winning poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar has published, edited or has forthcoming over fifteen books, including the Muse India award-winning translations of 9th century Tamil poet/saint, Andal. He founded one of the world’s oldest electronic journals of the arts, Drunken Boat and has taught and performed around the world. His collaborative chapbook, ‘A Field Guide to Southern China’ written with T.S. Eliot Prize winner George Szirtes was just published in the UK August 2019.

Wonderland @IAAC

The Children’s literature festival will run on both days – October 19 and 20th. We aim to create a space where children of bi-cultural heritage (ages 3-16) can access stories that will inform and inspire them by reflecting aspects of their identity and enrich them through the powers of imagination and experience. The festival not only serves to expand the world that they live in but will also provoke conversation by stretching the boundaries of imagination and story telling. The children’s program’s stellar line up of authors includes:

  • Veera Hiranandani – whose book The Night Diary is a 2019 Newbery Honor Award Winner and was named a 2018 Best Book of Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and The Chicago Public Library, among others.
  • Roopa Pai – One of India’s best-known authors for children with many national bestsellers including the 8-part Taranauts, India’s first original fantasy-adventure series for children in English and the award winning The Gita For Children, listed by Amazon among its list of ‘100 Indian Books To Read In A Lifetime’. Roopa will have an interactive session with adults and children on the ‘10 powerful ideas from ancient India’.
  • Sheetal Sheth – acclaimed actress who will be there with her first children’s book, Always Anjali which won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize.
  • Mona Sehgal – Presents her first book, Under the African Sky, the story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, it highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict.
  • Kavita Bafana will read from Namaste Jaipur, part of the Namaste Series of books, a 6-part series that will bring the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images. Her interactive session will include a musical journey that brings young children to Jaipur using music, imagination and play.
  • Raakhee Mirchandani: Award-winning writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader whose work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post, Redbook and HuffPo. Super Satya Saves the Day is her first book and is inspired by her own fiery daughter Satya.

Throughout the festival, children are also encouraged to participate in entertaining and interactive workshops about cultural identity, empowerment and even folklore. Kulture Khazana will engage young ones in an interactive session about cultural identity and empowerment. Packed with their imaginations, music and imagery, Little Ustaads will transport young audiences to a far off magical place reminiscent of the Old Pink City of Jaipur. Not-to-be missed is The Culture Tree’s performance of Ramleela, the story of Ram & Sita, through the art of puppeteering.

The festival will conclude with the Expressions Contest Awards where kids of Indian heritage aged 4-16 had participated in a literary contest to express and interpret their heritage and experiences of growing up as bi-cultural kids in America. Awards will be presented by Office of the Mayor of New York City, Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty and actor Anupam Kher.

ABOUT INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL:
The Indo-American Arts Council supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here.

About The Culture Tree:
The Culture Tree promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through educational and cultural programs for children and their families to instill a deeper connection with their heritage and the world around them. For information please visit: www.theculturetree.com

URL: http://www.stewardshipreport.com/wonderlandiaac-literary-festival-opens-this-weekend/

The Indo-American Arts Council announces the 5th Annual Literature Festival, this year aptly themed, ‘Wonderland@IAAC’. One of the premier celebrations of works influenced by the Indian sub continent, this year, the festival is larger than ever with not only a stellar adult literature lineup but also the first children’s literature program and a wide selection of poetry.

Wonderland@IAAC Literature Fest

Nearly 30 authors and participants from across a spectrum of genres and topics will come together with hundreds of book enthusiasts on Saturday October 19 from 10 am-6:30 pm and Sunday October 20 from 10 am–6:45 pm at the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University, 255 Sullivan Street, New York, NY 10012.

The IAAC Literary Festival is one of New York’s premier celebrations of Indian-American literature. With two days of book talks, book signings, lively cultural shows, activities, private receptions and more, the program is sure to satisfy book enthusiasts across topics, interests and genres including literary fiction, non- fiction, mysteries, thrillers, fantasy, adventure, memoirs, poetry, food writing and children’s books. Cultural identity, immigrant stories and challenging cultural norms is a theme that will be explored in both the children’s and adult literature line up and will engage young readers who are searching for their place in the world.

Internationally acclaimed emcee, poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar, acclaimed as “ One of America’s finest younger poets” by the late CT State Poet Laureate Dick Allen and called “a diaspora icon as well as bête noir” in The Hindu, will introduce an array of extraordinary South Asian voices that will resonate long into the reception featuring wine and cheese, and book signings.

The first ever children’s lineup at the Indo-American Art Council’s Literature Festival is being presented in partnership with The Culture Tree whose founder Anu Sehgal noted “We all know there is a huge diversity gap in children’s books. Through Wonderland our vision is to create a platform where children’s books by authors from the Indian diaspora get the visibility they deserve. Additionally, we want Indian-American children to see themselves and their lives in literature. This will instill a deep sense of confidence and curiosity about their culture. Through festivals like this, we also offer cross-cultural exposure that can help develop knowledgeable, open-minded and respectful individuals.”

IAAC Vice Chairman Rakesh Kaul said of the festival “Adbhuta Rasa is the rasa of mystery and wonderment. Descartes stated that Wonder is the first passion. It is in that spirit that we are excited to welcome our talented and globally recognized cast of writers. They will evoke a sense of surprise, wonder and pleasure in you through their literary creations.”

Headlining the Adult Literature Program will be:

  • Kanchan Koya who is the founder of Spice Spice Baby, a platform dedicated to shedding light on the healing potential of spices, demystifying them for a global audience, and inspiring their use in food for the whole family. She has a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School and is part of the Creators Program at Buzzfeed.
  • A renowned curator and scholar, John Guy has published widely on South Asian art and curated a number of ground-breaking exhibitions at The Met, most recently Encountering Vishnu: The Lion Avatar in Indian Temple Performance (2016), Y.G. Srimati and the Indian Style (2017) and Vajra Masters: Ritual Art of Nepal (2018). Previously, he served as senior curator of Indian art at the Victoria and Albert Museum London for 22 years.
  • Anjali Sachdeva’s debut short story collection, All the Names They Used for God, is the winner of the 2019 Chautauqua Prize, was longlisted for the 2018 Story Prize, and was selected as a best book of 2018 by NPR. The New York Times Book Review called the collection “strange and wonderful.”.
  • Jennifer Acker is founder and editor in chief of The Common, and author of the debut novel The Limits of the World. Her short stories, essays, translations, and reviews have appeared in Amazon Original Stories, Washington Post and The Yale Review among other places.
  • Author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir, Rakesh Kaul, notably, after a several years hunt, recovered the Tengapura Durga, the oldest continuously worshipped Durga in the world from the German government for India. He served as Co-Chairman of The Arts of Kashmir Exhibition at Asia Society NY. He is a noted speaker and writer on the arts, culture and history of Kashmir.
  • Susham Bedi currently teaches Modern Indian Literature at City University of New York and previously taught at Columbia University. She is the author of nine major Hindi language novels as well as 4 short story collections and poetry. Her works are thus located squarely in the South Asian diaspora and immigrant experience.
  • Maya Lang, novelist and author of the forthcoming memoir What We Carry, is the first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants and the author of The Sixteenth of June.
  • Simrita Dhir is a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Standard Awardee and a recipient of the Chancellor’s Medal for Academic Excellence in Post Graduate Studies. She has contributed to leading national newspapers including The Times of India, The Indian Express and The Tribune. She lectures on Writing, Diversity and Imagination at the University of California, Art Institute of California, among others.
  • BAFTA award nominee, Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan National awards winner, Actor Anupam Kher is one of the lead actors on NBC’s hit TV show New Amsterdam. He has acted in over 500 films and 100 plays in under 35 years, many of them blockbuster films. He has featured in Hollywood films such as Silver Linings Playbook, Hotel Mumbai, The Big Sick and has worked with directors Ang Lee, David O Russell, Woody Allen, Gurinder Chaddha and The Wachowskis. As an author he was ranked 17th amongst top 200 best global authors for his best-selling inspirational book The Best thing About You Is You which has been translated in 6 languages and is in its 20th edition.
  • Anuradha Bhagwati is a writer, activist, yoga and meditation teacher, and Marine Corps veteran. She is a regular media commentator on issues related to national security, women’s rights, civil rights, and mental health, and is the recipient of numerous awards. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, Foreign Affairs, and The New Republic.
Adult Literature

Celebrate the perfect end to the inaugural day of the Festival, on Saturday Oct 19 4:30pm, by enjoying some poetry from around the subcontinent and joining us for refreshments, conversation, book signings and photo opportunities. The rich poetry tradition of the Indian subcontinent stretches back for centuries and includes such crucial voices from Kabir to Kalidasa, Andal to Tagore, and this evening will showcase what the new generation of Indian and diaspora writers are doing to stretch the bounds of poetic discourse and probe what it means to be brown in America today. Rejoice in the actuality of diversity in literature by supporting these disparate poets as they perform from their latest works and engage with the audience.

On stage will be diverse writers such as:

– The Green Rose Prize in Poetry winner Jaswinder Bolina who is the author of three full-length collections of poetry. His first collection of essays, Of Color, is being released in March 2020.

– The poet laureate of Suffolk County, Long Island, Pramila Venkateswaran. An award winning poet, she has performed poetry internationally, including at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival and the Festival Internacional De Poesia De Granada. She is also the 2011 Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Long Island Poet of the Year.

– Kirun Kapur, named by NBCNews on their 2015 list of Asian-American Poets to Watch. Her work has appeared in AGNI, Poetry International, FIELD, Prairie Schooner and many other journals.

– The first non-Irishman to win the Patrack Kavanaugh Prize, Kashmiri-born Rafiq Kathwari has an MFA from Columbia University and divides his time between New York, Dublin and Kashmir.

– Former editor at PEN America, Guernica, and A Public Space, Diane Mehta’s debut poetry collection, Forest with Castanets, came out in March 2019. She is currently finishing a historical novel set in 1946 India and a collection of essays.

– Yale art historian and winner of the (Great) Indian Poetry Collective’s Emerging Poets Prize, Subhashini Kaligotla whose work has appeared in such journals as The Caravan, diode, LUMINA, New England Review, and The Literary Review. In 2018, Subhashini published her first book of poems Bird of the Indian Subcontinent, which owes its existence to New York City.

– Poet and novelist and winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Poetry Prize Monica Ferrell. An author of three books, her poetry collection You Darling Thing was named a New & Noteworthy selection by The New York Times.

– Poet, teacher and publisher of Yuganta Press, Ralph Nazareth is the author of four books of poems and lists his years doing poetry with ten-year olds in Stamford schools as among his most memorable.

– Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, raised in exile from Tibet in India is the author of a memoir published by Penguin India, and multiple poetry collections including the finalist for the Northern California Independent Bookseller’s Book of the Year Award for 2012.

– Poet/diplomat Indran Amirthanayagam who writes, translates, and publishes poetry and essays in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. He has published sixteen collections thus far, including the Elephants of Reckoning which won the 1994 Paterson Prize in the United States.

– Pushcart prize winning poet, translator and professor Ravi Shankar has published, edited or has forthcoming over fifteen books, including the Muse India award-winning translations of 9th century Tamil poet/saint, Andal. He founded one of the world’s oldest electronic journals of the arts, Drunken Boat and has taught and performed around the world. His collaborative chapbook, ‘A Field Guide to Southern China’ written with T.S. Eliot Prize winner George Szirtes was just published in the UK August 2019.

The Children’s literature festival will run on both days – October 19 and 20th. We aim to create a space where children of bi-cultural heritage (ages 3-16) can access stories that will inform and inspire them by reflecting aspects of their identity and enrich them through the powers of imagination and experience. The festival not only serves to expand the world that they live in but will also provoke conversation by stretching the boundaries of imagination and story telling. The children’s program’s stellar line up of authors includes:

  • Veera Hiranandani – whose book The Night Diary is a 2019 Newbery Honor Award Winner and was named a 2018 Best Book of Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and The Chicago Public Library, among others.
  • Roopa Pai – One of India’s best-known authors for children with many national bestsellers including the 8-part Taranauts, India’s first original fantasy-adventure series for children in English and the award winning The Gita For Children, listed by Amazon among its list of ‘100 Indian Books To Read In A Lifetime’. Roopa will have an interactive session with adults and children on the '10 powerful ideas from ancient India'.
  • Sheetal Sheth – acclaimed actress who will be there with her first children’s book, Always Anjali which won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Grand Prize.
  • Mona Sehgal – Presents her first book, Under the African Sky, the story of Krishna, an Indian-American boy who struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with American childhood. Set against the backdrop of the African wilderness, it highlights themes of natural and environmental harmony and conflict.
  • Kavita Bafana will read from Namaste Jaipur, part of the Namaste Series of books, a 6-part series that will bring the cities of India to children all around the world through well-written text and beautiful images. Her interactive session will include a musical journey that brings young children to Jaipur using music, imagination and play.
  • Raakhee Mirchandani: Award-winning writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader whose work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post, Redbook and HuffPo. Super Satya Saves the Day is her first book and is inspired by her own fiery daughter Satya.
Children’s literature festival

Throughout the festival, children are also encouraged to participate in entertaining and interactive workshops about cultural identity, empowerment and even folklore. Kulture Khazana will engage young ones in an interactive session about cultural identity and empowerment. Packed with their imaginations, music and imagery, Little Ustaads will transport young audiences to a far off magical place reminiscent of the Old Pink City of Jaipur. Not-to-be missed is The Culture Tree’s performance of Ramleela, the story of Ram & Sita, through the art of puppeteering.

The festival will conclude with the Expressions Contest, where kids of Indian heritage aged 4-16 will participate in a literary contest where they will express and interpret their heritage and experiences of growing up as bi-cultural kids in America. Enjoy delicious Indian Food and desserts such as Kulfi as a perfect ending to the festival!

URL: https://www.dissdash.com/2019/10/14/wonderlandiaac-literature-fest-this-weekend-13/