Aili Seghetti is the Founder of The Intimacy Curator, an organization focused on intimacy, relationships and self-discovery. An intimacy, dating and relationship coach trained in the Somatica method, Aili is a trauma-informed, LGBTQ+ affirming practitioner who creates safe spaces to explore connection, sexuality and emotional wellbeing. Through workshops and community events, they challenge taboos and foster openness, dialogue and self-awareness. Their work has been featured by The Hindu, BBC, Grazia and The Week, among others. Aili holds a degree in Hindi and Cultural Studies from SOAS, University of London, and is a Vipassana practitioner.
Akhil Gupta is Founder Director of the Universal Enlightenment Forum and serves on leadership and advisory boards at Harvard Divinity School, Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program and Chan Initiative on Health and Homelessness. A former Founder Chairman of Blackstone India and Senior Managing Director of The Blackstone Group, he has also held senior positions at Reliance Industries and Hindustan Unilever. An IIT and Stanford alumnus, Gupta is the author of Bridges Across Humanity and To Flourish is To Love, Learn, Play.
Alexander Kopelman is a writer, social entrepreneur, advocate, and coach who has spent four decades advancing social justice and personal empowerment. As founding President and CEO of the Children’s Arts Guild, he helped build an organization dedicated to helping children explore and develop their authentic identities. Previously, he served as Director of Marketing at Girls Inc. for more than 12 years. His work focuses on identity, self-determination, and challenging societal stereotypes, and he has authored or co-authored 10 books.
Dr Amrinder Kaur Bajaj is a senior gynaecolgist, a gold medalist from AIIMS, former head of department MAX PPA, presently attached to Fortis Hospital Gurugram. A a passion for writing has led to the publication of eleven books that include 4 wellness books, fiction, poetry, a text book, a joke book and a Khushwant memoir by leading publishers like Penguin, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Elsevier, Niyogi. Her latest book is on the taboo subject of female sexuality 'Closing the Pleasure Gap - an Ob Gyn explains What Women Want in Bed' has been published by Hay House that will be discussed during this Lit fest.
Berty Ashley is a molecular geneticist, science communicator and quizmaster who uses comedy, storytelling and quizzing to make science engaging and accessible. Drawing from his background in molecular genetics, he brings complex ideas out of the laboratory and into public spaces, encouraging curiosity, critical thinking and a love for science.
Gillian Wright is an author and translator whose works include the translation of Shrilal Shukla's Raag Darbaari and Rahi Masoon Reza's Half a Village as well as the prize-winning children's book Mishti the Mirazapuri Labrador. The latter was autobiographical as Mishti was her and her partner Mark Tully's dog. Mark died in January this year and it fell to Gillian to fufil his wishes and bring to completion the memoir he had long been working on. This is titled 'A Very Lucky Man - Memoirs of a Radio-Wala' and is to be published before the end of the year.
Hoihnu Hauzel is a journalist, author and chronicler of Northeast India, with decades of experience at leading publications including The Indian Express, Hindustan Times and The Telegraph. A Reuters Fellow and Le Cordon Bleu-certified gastronomic tourism professional, she is the author of The Essential Northeast Cookbook and books on Manipur. She founded The NE Stories, documenting the region’s people, culture and resilience, and Northeast Odyssey, highlighting its hospitality and destinations.
Jerry Pinto is a poet, novelist, translator, editor and teacher who lives and works in a city by the sea with many names. His books have won the National Award for the Best Book on Cinema, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Windham-Campbell Award from Yale, USA. He is at work on several projects at once, one of which is a campaign to stop people from asking for short bios.
Kamla K. Kapur is an award-winning author, poet and playwright whose work bridges literature, mythology and mysticism. The author of eight books, she draws on Sikh, Hindu and Sufi traditions to bring ancient wisdom to contemporary readers. Her recent book, The Privilege of Aging, won the 2025 Nautilus Book Award (Gold), the 2025 Best Indie Book Award and a 2026 Living Books Award. Her latest, Awakening with Nanak: A Journey of Self Discovery, was published by Harper India in 2026. Kapur has written nine plays, received two National Playwriting Awards, and taught literature and creative writing in India and the United States.
General (Dr) Manoj Naravane (Retd), the 28th Chief of the Army Staff, led the Indian Army from 2019 to 2022, navigating the Covid-19 pandemic and the military standoff in Eastern Ladakh while advancing self-reliance, military diplomacy and new technologies. A graduate of India’s premier military institutions, he holds a Ph.D. in Defence and Security Studies and is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and other honours. In 2025, he entered a new realm—as a storyteller—with his debut novel, The Cantonment Conspiracy.
Dr. Mazda K. Turel is a leading neurosurgeon specialising in brain and spine disorders, with advanced training in minimally invasive, skull-base, neuro-oncological, complex spine and cerebrovascular surgery across India, China, Canada and the US. A recipient of the Jacob Chandy Gold Medal, he has published over 110 papers and is recognised for his clinical research and innovative approach to neurosurgery.
A passionate educator and TEDx speaker, Dr. Turel lectures internationally and writes regularly for Jam-e Jamshed and Sunday Mid-Day, making the complexities of the human brain and spine accessible to the public. His work exploring the links between brain structure and mental health reflects his philosophy of compassionate excellence.
Narayani Ganesh is a journalist, editor and author who spent 34 years with The Times of India and The Economic Times. With a postgraduate degree in Economics, she has written extensively on environment, science, philosophy, spirituality, wellness, heritage and travel. As editor of The Speaking Tree and Sacred Space, she engaged with leading philosophers, spiritual masters, scientists and wellness thinkers from around the world. Widely travelled, she is now a freelance writer. Her books include My Father, Gemini Ganesan and Anger: Why We Get Angry and How We Should Respond to Provocation, published by Aleph in 2026, with a foreword by HH the Dalai Lama.
Dr. Ravi Chopra, an environmentalist, researcher and recipient of IIT-Bombay’s 2012 Distinguished Alumnus Award, is the former Director of the People’s Science Institute. His pioneering work spans environmental conservation, disaster mitigation and sustainable development.
A co-editor of the landmark First Citizens’ Report on the State of India’s Environment (1982) and Citizens’ Report on River Ganga (2023), his current interests include climate change, Himalayan springs, river conservation and sustainable livelihoods. He has chaired Supreme Court-appointed committees on infrastructure projects in Uttarakhand and served on the National Ganga River Basin Authority. He lives in Dehradun.
With over four decades of experience spanning publishing, business leadership and consulting, Rekha Khanna has built a distinguished career across diverse sectors, particularly healthcare and diagnostics. Her early work included launching a successful weekly newspaper and developing the concept for a women’s magazine with the India Today Group. She went on to lead bioMérieux India as Managing Director and later Chairperson, driving sustained growth while nurturing talent and strengthening the organisation’s presence in India. She has also served as Chairperson of the European Business Group and contributed to industry initiatives through CII and FICCI. She holds an MBA and a Master’s in English Literature, and was honoured by France with the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite.
Sam Tully grew up in India and the UK in the 1970s and 80s, before graduating from Cambridge, then qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in London. Subsequently he entered the world of Financial Markets, specialising in India just as the economy liberalised and stock markets opened up. Over his long career he was worked for many well known Banks, mainly in London but also based in Mumbai. He has always enjoyed literature and has written research reports, published articles and is now working on a book. He is very interested in education, a visiting Fellow at the Centre for India and Global Business at the Cambridge University Judge Business School and a trustee of Pratham UK.
Actor. Author. General Maverick.
Sarthak is an investment banker, bestselling author and entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in M&A, fundraising and corporate finance. A Gold Medalist from ISB and one of India’s youngest professionals to hold four qualifications—CA, CS, CMA and Finance—he advises businesses on capital, valuations and global expansion.
With over 5 million followers and 100 million monthly views, he is a Visiting Faculty at ISB and a sought-after speaker on economics, finance and international trade, with appearances at Harvard, Davos and the House of Lords.
Shinie Antony has written the novellas Eden Abandoned: The Story of Lilith (Laadli Fiction Award 2025, Wise Owl Literary Award for Fiction 2025, Ruskin Bond Award for Fiction 2026), Can’t (longlist 2024 Crossword Book Awards), and The Girl Who Couldn’t Love. Her short-story collections include Barefoot and Pregnant and The Orphanage for Words, while anthologies compiled are Hell Hath No Fury, Boo, Why We Don’t Talk, An Unsuitable Woman, and The Art of Holding On, Letting Go. Her story A Dog’s Death won the Commonwealth Short Story Asia prize 2002. She has also written the short film Boli: Beyond Words and scripted the forthcoming Malayalam film Anchaam Pramaanam (The Fifth Commandment). The Haunting of Kunjamma P is her latest novel.
Mrs Veena Naravane is a teacher, a teacher educator and former consultant to Tony Blair Institute for Global change. She is an advisor to CEQUE an NGO working for the empowerment of teachers in rural and semi-urban areas. She is the former President of the Army Women's Welfare Association.
