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Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest to be held from 25 – 29 October
Mumbai: The 14th edition of Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest is around the corner! With committed audiences both online and on ground, the Festival will start with its online edition on 25 – 26 October with leading international authors such as Salman Rushdie and Elif Shafak. The Festival will take place on ground from 27 – 29 October at the NCPA, Nariman Point and St Pauls Institute of Communication Education and Title Waves bookstore in Bandra.
The Festival will maintain its hallmarks of inclusivity, diversity and innovation encompassing nationalities, genders, geographies, communities and languages.
Celebrated thought leaders, wordsmiths and storytellers from India and 15 other countries, will explore issues at the heart of fiction, poetry, mathematics, economics, communications, business, sport, health, history, art, society, nature, food, with fresh and unique perspectives that characterize the Litfest.
Participants will include Abanti Sankaranarayanan, Anuja Chauhan, Arjun Raj Gaind, Gulzar, Gurcharan Das, Faye D’Souza, Jerry Pinto, Kunal Vijayakar, Luke Coutinho, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manoranjan Byapari, Marcus du Sautoy, Meeran Chadha Borwankar, Mehdi Hassan, Michel Bussi, Prahlad Kakar, Peter Frankopan, Rajdeep Sardesai, Ranjit Hoskote, Sam Miller, Shanta Gokhale, Shashi Tharoor, Shobhaa De, Sudha Murty, Tenzin Tsundue, Vivek Shanbhag, Zac O’ Yeah, Zai Whitaker among others.
The Festival highlights will never fade: the prestigious Poet Laureate, Lifetime Achievement, and Literary Awards; the packed-hall Great Debate; an introduction to a language other than English (Kannada this year); 14 book launches; gripping indoor and outdoor stage performances; the fully subscribed workshops and the popular Book Swap. The Binod Kanoria Awards for Children’s Literature and The Rotary Writing For Peace Award, introduced last year under the aegis of the Festival, will also be presented.
Each year the Festival aims to bring new experiences to its visitors. This year, in conjunction with the Goethe Institut, the festival is bringing The Infinite Library – a travelling installation that uses VR and other media to reimagine the future of libraries as interactive spaces that engage visitors through multisensory forms of storytelling. There will also be a brand new Spoken Word performance, and an outdoor performance from the UK that merges pottery and dance.
Co-director of the LitFest Amy Fernandes said, “We are delighted to present the 14th edition of the Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest, and so proud that it has become an integral part of Mumbai’s life. This year we have, as always, a blend of established stars and fresh faces, concurrent themes and traditional motifs, and sessions ranging from serious cogitation to dashes of sparkle!
Co-director of the Litfest Quasar Thakore Padamsee said, “Due to the circumstances of the past few years we have acquired a vast global digital audience, so online programming is also now a permanent strand of our festival. We look forward to engaging with our loyal audiences both virtual and on ground for an invigorating five days, celebrating The Power Of Words, which resonates through all our Festival activities.”
Tata Sons brand custodian Harish Bhat said, “At the Tata Group, we take great pride in our association with Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest. This festival has become an intrinsic part of Mumbai, offering our maximum city a vibrant, diverse and inclusive literary experience each year. Here, we celebrate writers, their art and their rich contributions to our world.
This year’s Litfest will shine a spotlight on works by women as well as regional writers. The hybrid format introduced last year is here to stay – the festival will feature both digital and on-ground sessions. We look forward greatly to welcoming lovers of literature to this festival. We are confident that the exciting program line-up will delight you.”
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
