Kriti will be a four-day event celebrating South Asian and diaspora literature, with panel discussions, performances, readings, music and song, storytelling for kids, and much more! At our 2005 festival we had 30 visiting writers, editors and agents, and huge fun -- for more info on that festival, take a look at our archive here: http:// www.desilit.org/kriti2005.html
Our Guest of Honor in 2007 will be award-winning author Anita Desai, noted Indian novelist, short-listed for the Booker Prize three times. (Her daughter, Kiran Desai, recently won the 2006 Booker Prize.) Just a few of Anita Desai's wonderful books include Fasting, Feasting; Baumgartner's Bombay; Clear Light of Day, and In Custody (which was made into a Merchant/Ivory film, starring Shashi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, and Om Puri). More info on Anita Desai: http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Anita_Desai
Other panelists currently include: Shaila Abdulah, Vidhu Aggarwal, Sita Bhaskar, Champa Bilwakesh, Archana Chowhan, Sugi Ganeshanathan, Asha Kasbekar, John P. Matthew, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Mukta Sambrani, Deepak Unnikrishnan -- and quite a few more, to be added shortly. For detailed panelist bios, please see our site.
Pre-registrations are currently available at the low, low rate of only $50 ($30 student/senior) for the entire festival weekend. This early-bird rate is only available for the next few weeks, and guarantees you admission into all festival events, including keynote speech, guest of honor reading and reception, Rasaka Theatre performance, writing workshops, literary panels, author readings, and much much more. (Please note: this rate does not include any special meals with the guest of honor that may still be arranged, but it does ensure that you'll be the first to be offered the opportunity to sign up for such special events.)
Please visit our site to pre-register by credit card or check, and please don't hesitate to write with any questions or concerns.
Thank you!