Former law minister sets tone for finale as Chandigarh Lit Fest launches National Book Awards

Former Union Law Minister, eminent lawyer and author Ashwini Kumar set the tone for the finale of Chandigarh Literature Festival (CLF) Literati 2025 today, leading a sharp conversation on India’s Living Constitution with local journalist Manraj Grewal.

His session capped a bustling final day that showcased award-winning authors, performing artistes, bestselling IPS officers and thought leaders across genres, marking one of the most diverse program line-ups the Chandigarh Literary Society (CLS) has staged so far.

The festival’s high point came with the institution of the CLF Literati Book Awards, which Festival Director and CLS Chairperson Sumita Misra described as “a moment of pride” as Chandigarh now has “its very own national-level book awards.” She further said the awards will be announced annually, cementing the city’s growing reputation as a national literature destination.

Misra thanked speakers, authors, interlocutors, audiences, team members and volunteers, saying they had “enriched our minds and touched our hearts.”

Earlier, the concluding day opened with a creative writing workshop before moving into themed discussions, including sessions on spirituality, wellness and lived narratives.

IPS officer and bestselling author Amit Lodha featured in a packed segment alongside former national hockey player Veena Raman, discussing real-life policing stories and memoir writing with IPS officer-author Arsh Verma.

Two book launches — “Life, Love and Us” by Sonia Vashisht Oberoi and “Echoes of the Soul” by Ravee Pandher — preceded conversations featuring Shobha Tharoor, Mona Verma, Manjari Chaturvedi, Affan Yesvi, Dhruv Sangari, Balram, Vijay Kapoor and Ashwin Sanghi.

At the awards ceremony, three titles won top honours: “The Undying Light” by Gopalkrishna Gandhi – English Non-Fiction; “The Ayodhya Alliance” by Ashwin Sanghi – English Fiction; and “Shubh Din” by Balram – in the Hindi category.

The festival concluded with applause, packed halls and CLS declaring its ambition to scale even higher next year.