PANELS
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE:
GROWING UP in many WORLDS
10 AM
Parul Bhandari (Moderator)
Amna Malik, Julie Pandya Patel,
Shirin Shamsi
Readings reflecting the rich experiences, identities, and imaginations of young readers growing up across cultures. Authors explore how children's literature fosters belonging, celebrates diverse voices, and inspires the next generation of readers.
DAUGHTER OF THE MOUNTAINS
A KEYNOTE CONVERSATION WITH FATIMAH ASGHAR
11 AM
Fatimah Asghar, Ignatius Valentine Aloysius
Fatimah Asghar, awardd winning author, poet, filmmaker, educator, and performer, will be in conversation with Ignatius Valentine Aloysius, a poet, novelist, polymath-producer (@hapticwound), and curator/director of SAALF
THE GHAZAL AS A HERALD
LOVE VS INTOLERANCE
12 PM
Ami Kaye (Moderator)
Laura Ring, Vivek Sharma,
Samina Hadi Tabassum
An exploration of the role of the ghazal in the context of contemporary global issues as an ancient poetry form carrying messages of love and spiritualism against the backdrop of war and chaos; the ghazal can spotlight injustices, facilitate healing and validation, and provide a voice to the voiceless.
WRITING TRAUMA
FROM A PLACE OF SILENCE
1 PM
Sonali Dev (Moderator)
Ammara Khalid, Punita Khanna
Writers engage how histories of displacement, violence, and silence are carried across generations, often finding expression through fragments, testimony, and reimagined forms of storytelling.
BRIDGING WORLDS
THE MAGIC OF TRANSLATION
2 PM
Susan Harris (Moderator)
Sana Chaudhry, Sarah Pierce Taylor
An exploration of the art of carrying stories, histories, and voices across languages and cultures. reveals how translated literature builds connections between writers, readers, and worlds.
GLASS LYRE PRESS
AUTHORS' POETRY READINGS
3 PM
Dina Elenbogen (Moderator)
Kashiana Singh, Virginia Bell,
Ignatius Valentine, Aloysius
An independent poetry press based in Glenview, Illinois which supports exceptional artistic voices. Recently published authors will read from collections.
IDENTITY & THE LIVED EXPERIENCE IN STORYTELLING CULTURE
4 PM
Raghav Rao (Moderator)
Fatimah Asghar, Nishanth Injam,
Colleen Sen
Authors examine how storytelling and lyricism often function less as explorations of literary craft and more as ways to help writers articulate their lived experiences and a definition of self.
DIASPORA
THE CREATIVE FORM AS A SITE OF NEGOTIATION IN LITERARY CRAFT
5 PM
Kunal Sen (Moderator)
Nina Sudhakar, Preeti Parikh
Authrs focus on South Asian American literary production and craft emerging from a diasporic experience.