4 renowned Indian novelists feature in eShe panel at Ananke Women in Literature Festival 2024

Now in its fourth year, Ananke’s flagship Women in Literature Festival begins on April 23, 2024. Happening in the month of World Book Day, the three-day virtual event strives to create a space where a diverse set of voices – especially women from the Global South – can come together to share their thoughts, vision, and lived experiences. 

eShe is proud to be an ally and partner once again. This time, eShe will host a panel discussion on the subject of ‘Love in Books and Life: Romance and the Female Gaze’.

The panel discussion is scheduled for April 24, 2024, Wednesday, from 3.10 pm – 4.00 pm UAE / 4.40 pm – 5.30 pm India time. It will be livestreamed on eShe’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channel, along with Ananke’s Facebook page.

The panel features four renowned novelists from India.

Andaleeb Wajid is a prolific author, having published more than 45 novels in the past 14 years. Andaleeb enjoys writing in a number of different genres such as young adult (YA), romance, and horror.

Andaleeb has two upcoming YA novels in 2024: Scare Walk, a graphic horror novel with HarperCollins India, and Everything Sucks, a YA romance with Speaking Tiger Books. Her stories have also been featured in anthologies such as Big Mistake (Penguin India).

Andaleeb’s YA novel Asmara’s Summer has been adapted for a web series on Amazon Prime, releasing this month. 

Manjul Bajaj worked as a development and environment professional for many years before she became an author. Her debut novel Come, Before Evening Falls was shortlisted for The Hindu Literary Prize 2010 and her collection of short stories Another Man’s Wife was shortlisted for The Hindu Literary Prize 2013.

Her novel In Search of Heer was listed for several prizes including the JCB Prize in 2020. She is also the author of Elbie’s Quest and Nargisa’s Adventures, two books for children. 

Her most recent work is The Book of Bullah, an English translation of the poems of the Punjabi mystic poet, Bulleh Shah.

Milan Vohra juggles writing fiction and advertising campaigns. Her first book, The Love Asana made her India’s first Mills & Boon author. Her novel Tick-Tock We’re 30 (Westland Publishers) has been acquired for screen adaptation.

Her other works include Our Song (HarperCollins India), Head Over Heels, Mates, Dates & Double Takes, and the musical comedy Maid in India. Her short stories are featured in various anthologies by Penguin, HarperCollins India and others.

Milan has written op-ed pieces and fiction for Huffington Post, The Hindu, and more. She is a TEDx speaker and award-winning advertising creative professional. She trained in playwriting with Mahesh Dattani and screenplay writing with Anurag Kashyap. 

The panel moderator is Dr Shalini Mullick, a practicing doctor and an author. Her debut novel Stars from the Borderless Sea was longlisted for the Auther Awards 2023. Her new novel The Way Home is a journey of self-discovery. Shalini was awarded a Jury Appreciation Citation at the UNFPA Laadli Media & Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity. She is the winner of two Orange Flower Awards and the eShe short story contest. She is the head of the pathology department at a national-level hospital in Delhi.

The event host is Aekta Kapoor, founder and editor of eShe. She recently featured in and as ‘An Unsuitable Girl’ in episode 1 of the documentary web series Love Storiyaan on Amazon Prime.

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