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Third edition of Times Literary Carnival is back
MUMBAI:The third edition of Times Literary Carnival will be held at historic Mehboob Studios in Bandra from 6th to 8th December 2013. The magical indoor and outdoor spaces of this enchanting venue will is expected to have an estimated footfalls of 15,000 literati queuing up to catch a glimpse of their favourite authors and also hear them participate in an engaging debate, discussion and candid chat on diverse subjects.
The line-up of international and Indian panelists is even more stellar than last year’s. Once again, this unique festival has been designed to bring literature out of the remote ivory tower and make it dovetail into the eclectic passions of Mumbai. This is what makes this event a one-of-a-kind city literary festival. Love, romance and violence is the core theme of the 2013 literary carnival. The theme attempts to understand through literature, film, food, even nature, how love and violence-in their most subtle, intangible forms-sometimes go together.
Several panels will be structured around this propulsion, featuring writers of the stature of Ruskin Bond, Eve Ensler, Arun Shourie, Chetan Bhagat, Hanif Kureishi, Mohammed Hanif, Nadeem Aslam, Declan Walsh, William Dalrymple, Nick Drake, Adrian Levy, Cathy Scott-Clark, Aranyani, Pradipta Sarkar, Makarand Paranjape, Urvashi Butalia, Shereen el-Feki, Ramachandra Guha, Anita Raghavan, CS Lakshmi, Navtej Sarna, Vikas Swarup, Shovon Chowdhury, Akhil Sharma, Bapsi Sidhwa, Nadeem Aslam and many more.
Karan Johar will talk about this seductress called romance. Panel discussions will range from whether ‘marriage’ is a word or a sentence to whether romance is past its sell-by date debated by best-selling novelists Anuja Chauhan and Ravinder Singh. Writer Mohammed Hanif and film-maker Anurag Kashyap will share why love and violence cohabit in their different genres.
Our eclectic exploration includes the violence we inflict on nature, represented by Valmik Thapar’s chilling talk on his new tiger book. Food, music on litfest menu Erotic fiction is there of course, but also a taste of why food is the ultimate aphrodisiac. In a grand curtain-raiser, Hanif Kureishi will give the keynote address. Closing our litfest, the endearingly obnoxious Suhel Seth will speak on being single.
Every evening, love poetry will be read out under the fairy-lit trees. There will be music by Coke Studio The remarkable Eve Ensler will launch her latest play ‘Emotional Creature’.
Among the book launches are the controversial account of the Mumbai terror attacks ‘The Siege’, Mary Kom’s biography, Gulzar’s ‘Hindi For Heart’, and Bachi Karkaria’s book on Bombay, as part of The Times of India’s 175-year celebrations.
The abidingly charming Ruskin Bond will receive the Times of India Literary Award in a special ceremony. The annual Crossword Book Awards will take place at the festival.
Romance, Love, Violence. You may never see them the same way again, individually or in dangerous liaison. There will be numerous book launches, workshops, hang-out zones and other activities highlighted by the magic of Mehboob’s outdoor spaces and a whole segment for children and young adults. This is just for starters. Much more will make its way to this stimulating marquee. Come, share in the bigger, better, sharper third edition of the Times of India Literary Carnival, 2013.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
