SPEAKERS
Alka Pande, Consultant Art Advisor & Curator of the Visual Arts Gallery IHC
Dr Alka Pande is a consultant arts advisor and curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. In December 2006, she was awarded the Chevalier dans Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. She also received the Charles Wallace Award in 1999-2000. Dr Pande has completed her post-doctoral studies in critical art theory from Goldsmith College and has a range of books, academic papers and lectures on diverse aspects of the arts to her credit.Namita Gokhale, Author
Namita Gokhale is a writer, publisher and festival director. She is a literary genius from Kumaon and has authored fourteen books. Her acclaimed debut novel, Paro: Dreams of Passion, was published in 1984. The latest book, Things to Leave Behind has been described as her most ambitious novel till date. Gokhale is a founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival. She is also the director of Yatra Books, a publishing house which focuses on translations.Anuradha Roy, Writer
Anuradha Roy is an award winning writer and has many accolades to her credit. Her novel, Sleeping on Jupiter won the DSC Prize for Fiction 2016 and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2015. Her debut novel, An Atlas of Impossible Longing was termed as one of the Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post while her second novel The Folded Earth won the Economist Crossword Prize. Her essays and reviews have appeared in newspapers in India, the US and Britain. She lives in Ranikhet.Makrand R Paranjape, Writer
Makarand Paranjape is the Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla. A former English Professor at JNU, he has published six poetry collections, fiction and written a range of books, Cultural Politics in Modern India: Postcolonial Prospects, Colourful Cosmopolitanism, Global Proximities and many more. Makarand is also a columnist for Swarajya, DNA and Mail Today.Rudy Singh, Filmmaker
A writer, independent film-maker, editor, and cinematographer. He has directed documentaries as well as commercial projects. He is a member of the Indian Film and Television Directors Association. Founder-director of the Naini Photofest and former President of the Film and Arts Guild of Uttarakhand.Suhel Seth, Brand Consultant
Suhel Seth is the CEO of Counselage, which is a branding and marketing consultancy. He advises Chairpersons and CEOs across the globe. He is an author of three national best-seller books; a prolific actor both on stage and screen having acted in 167 plays and a well-known television commentator. He has over 4.7 million followers on Twitter. Suhel is the Chairman of the Branding Committee of India’s foremost business chamber CII for the year 2020-21.Shagun Khanna, Wellness Icon
Shagun Khanna is a health, beauty and wellness blogger and a mother of two, who lives between India and London. She helps women look and feel their best using the powers of clean beauty, healthy living and self-care. Her wellness regimen emanates from her study and practice of Ayurveda, nutrition, and fitness in her daily life.Sharon Prabhakar,Singer, Actor, Motivati
Sharon's award winning debut in the musical 'Evita' is vividly remembered even today. Evita and her song in the film 'Armaan' put her on an unstoppable path of great career successes. She has released eight pop albums ..her recent 'Dilruba' won the New York Festival Award for creative and technical brilliance. She did the Opening Act for Michael Jackson when he performed in India.Sharon has represented India at several Music Festivals: Russia,China, Japan, Mauritius.
Raaja Bhasin, Writer
Raaja Bhasin has published fourteen critically acclaimed books of history, travel and fiction, as well as over two thousand articles, features and stories. A Tedx speaker, he has also handled assignments for television networks like the BBC, Channel Four and NatGeo. He has remained associated with the Indian Institute of Advanced Study for over two decades.Janhavi Prasada, Festival Director, Social Entrepreneur
Janhavi Prasada has directed three literature festivals so far at Abbotsford and she is hooked to doing many more in the region of Kumaon. A tech-peace activist who dabbles with outside art and dedicates her time to conserve and propagate literature, music, local textiles, regional food, heritage monuments and environment in Uttarakhand. Her first graphic novel for young adults on Mahatma Gandhi, Tales of Young Gandhi, was written by her at Abbotsford, her heritage country home in Nainital.Anmol K Gupta, Founder Podsters India & Co-Founder, White Mountain Collectives
Anmol is the co-founder of White Mountain Collectives. Passionate about the rich culinary heritage of India, he is a firm believer in the immense power of India's home grown produce. His passion for the smells and tastes of India's rich culinary heritage, led him to co-create Saffron Palate - an award winning culinary experience in the heart of India's capital - Delhi. A seasoned strategist, he has worked with organizations including YES BANK, 3i Infotech, Henkel India and The Times of India.Kanika Sisodia,Research Assistant at Roo
Kanika Sisodia works as a Research Assistant at a Chicago non-profit foundation, Roots & Wings. She is a recent graduate from the University of Chicago where she completed her second master’s in social science. Before moving to Chicago, she was a member of the Nainital Book Club while she taught at All Saints’ College, Nainital.Priyanka Pradhan, Journalist
Priyanka Pradhan is a Dubai-based journalist with over 13 years in television, print and electronic media, across India and the UAE.She reported for Indian television networks such as CNBC Network 18 and Economic Times Now and served as assistant editor for The New York Times Style Magazine (UAE) and Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East. She now writes books for children and young adults.Show More
