Mayfair Convention

Bhubaneswar

September 5 & 6

2026

the programme

    Day 1: September 5, 2026

  • 10:00 – 10:05 AM


    Saraswati Vandana
  • 10:00 – 10:10 AM


    Lamp lighting
  • 10:10 – 10:15 AM


    Welcome Address
  • 10:15 – 10:45 AM


    Text and Context: Why Reading Matters
    Arif Mohammad Khan, Former Governor, Bihar and Kerala
    Moderator: Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director, The New Indian Express
  • 10:45 – 11:15 AM


    India And I: Evidence of a Democracy in Action
    SY Quraishi, Former Chief Election Commissioner
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 11:15 – 11:45 AM


    Conversation
    Chasing Fireflies, Talking to Trees: The Inner World of Nature
    Neha Sinha, Conservation Biologist and Author
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM


    Conversation
    Remembering Irrfan: A Life in Cinema
    Sutapa Sikdar, Writer and Producer
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 12:15 – 12:45 PM


    Conversation
    The Art of Diplomacy: Writing Different Worlds
    Navtej Sarna, Author and Former Ambassador of India to the United States
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 12:45 – 1:15 PM


    Writing on Kashmir: Contested Past, Conflicted Present
    Raghuvendra Tanwar, Chairperson, ICHR
    Amitabh Mattoo, Professor and Dean, SIS, JNU
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 1:15 – 2:15 PM


    Lunch
  • 2:15 – 2:45 PM


    Conversation
    Forgotten Heroes of Indian Science: Discovering What's Lost
    Anand Ranganathan, Scientist and Author
    Sheetal Ranganathan, Writer and Corporate Leader
    Moderator: Lipika Bhushan, Consultant and Author
  • 2:45 – 3:15 PM


    Conversation
    Ideology in Academics: Left, Right, Who is Right?
    Ratan Sharda, Author
    Makarand R Paranjape, Sri Aurobindo Chair (Hon.), Vedere University
    Moderator: Ravi Shankar, Journalist and Author
  • 3:15 – 4:00 PM


    In Memory of JP Das: Experiments with the Written Word
    Jatindra Kumar Nayak, Translator and Literary Critic
    Sangram Jena, Poet, Translator and Former Vice President of Odisha Sahitya Akademi
    Animesh Mohapatra, Associate Professor of English, Delhi University
    Moderator: Sampad Patnaik, Independent Journalist and Researcher
  • 4:00 – 4:15 PM


    Book Release
    The Orissan
    Sandip Das, Former Telco CEO and Author
    Alka Jena, Deputy Director (Planning), Government of Odisha and Author
    Moderator: Lipika Bhushan, Consultant and Author
  • 4:15 – 4:45 PM


    Conversation
    From Chitvan to Prabhat: Staying Close to the Ground
    Amol Parashar, Actor
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 4:45 – 5:00 PM


    Book Release
    The Little Book of Goodbyes
    Ravi Shankar, Author and Journalist
    Moderator: Lipika Bhushan, Consultant and Author
  • 5:00 – 5:30 PM


    Odisha and the Medieval World: A Snapshot
    Anirudh Kanisetti, Author and Historian
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 5:30 – 6:00 PM


    Conversation
    Ideology vs Scepticism: What Do Young People Believe
    Ashutosh, Senior Journalist and Author
    Prafulla Ketkar, Editor, Organiser
    Moderator: Ravi Shankar, Journalist and Author
  • 6:00 – 6:15 PM


    Book Release
    Ananta Das: A Memoir in Verse
    Sangram Jena, Poet, Translator and Former Vice President of Odisha Sahitya Akademi
    Aurobinda Behera, IAS (Rtd) and Author
    Moderator: Diksha Tiwari
  • 6:15 – 6:45 PM


    Showcase
    On The Record: Making Women's Voices Heard
    Vidya Shah, Singer and Author
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist

    Day 2: September 6, 2026

  • 10:00 – 10:30 AM


    Conversation
    Never Logged Out: Growing Up Online
    Ria Chopra, Writer
    Moderator: Lipika Bhushan, Consultant and Author
  • 10:30 – 11:15 AM


    The Future of Odia Publishing: Who Will Write, Who Will Read?
    Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, Publisher, Grantha Mandira
    Asit Mohanty, Translator and Editor, Paurusha and Aama Odisha
    Subhransu Panda, Author and Founder, PEN IN BOOKS
    Moderator: Miyog Patra, Writer and Storyteller
  • 11:15 AM – 11:45 PM


    Discussion
    Food Stories: What We Eat is Who We Are
    Maria Goretti, Author, Chef and Television Host
    Aali Kumar, Food Writer and Founder, The House of Zaikanama
    Meher Mirza, Food Writer and Author
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 11:45 – 12:00 PM


    Book Release
    Poems Across Time: One Family, Three Voices
    Bibhu Prasad Acharya, IAS (Retd) and Cartoonist
    Ansuman Acharya, Product Manager, Airbnb, USA and Poet
    Moderator: Lipika Bhushan, Consultant and Author
  • 12:00 – 12:30 PM


    Discussion
    Hidden History: Revisiting The Past
    Sohail Rekhy, Author and Writer
    Anuja Chandramouli, Author and Writer
    Moderator: Ravi Shankar, Journalist and Author
  • 12:30 – 1:00 PM


    Conversation
    The Rage of Women: Lighting the Way Forward
    Meena Kandasamy, Poet, Author and Translator
    Moderator: Lipika Bhushan, Consultant and Author
  • 1:00 – 1:30 PM


    Showcase
    Decoding a Legend: The Life and Times of a Singing Star
    Sahar Zaman, Journalist, Author and Founder, Hunar TV
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist
  • 1:30 – 2:00 PM


    A Question of Leadership: Learning the Language
    Santrupt Misra, Member of Rajya Sabha (Odisha)
    Sanjiv Sarin, former CEO and MD, Tata Coffee and Author
    Moderator: Ravi Shankar, Journalist and Author
  • 2:00 – 2:30 PM


    Conversation
    Dharma in Daily Life: The Morality Question
    Amish Tripathi, Author
    Moderator: Kaveree Bamzai, Senior Journalist

the speakers

  • Ansuman Acharya
    Anuja Chandramouli
    Asit Mohanty
    Ashutosh
    Bibhu Prasad Acharya
    Jatindra Kumar Nayak
    Lipika Bhushan
    Makarand R Paranjap
    Manoj Kumar Mohapatra
    Maria Goretti
  • Meena Kandasamy
    Meher Mirza
    Miyog Patra
    Navtej Sarna
    Neha Sinha
    Prafulla Ketkar
    Raghuvendra Tanwar
    Ratan Sharda
    Ravi Shankar Etteth
    Ria Chopra
  • Sahar Zaman
    Sampad Patnaik
    Sandip Das
    Sangram Jena
    Sanjiv Sarin
    Santrupt Misra
    Sheetal Ranganathan
    Sohail Rekhy
    Subhransu Panda
    SY Quraishi
  • Sutapa Sikdar

Videos

  • Literature Gives Us Solace In Difficult Times: Arif Mohammad Khan At OLF 2026
    SIR is hijacking of Indian democracy, CJP protests were silver lining: S Y Quraishi at OLF 2026
    In a world of AI, go offline and look outside: Neha Sinha at OLF 2026
    Love for Irrfan keeps growing due to his spiritual connection with craft: writer-wife Sutapa Sikdar
    Kashmir has 3,000-year history, not just 150-year story: Raghuvendra Tanwar at OLF 2026
    How India’s tricolour evolved from charkha to chakra: Navtej Sarna at OLF 2026
    Why The World Ignored These Indian Scientists? Anand Ranganathan and Sheetal explain at OLF 2026
    Did J.P. Das change Odia literature forever?
    The Hidden Power of Odisha's Medieval Queens | OLF 2026
    Are Memes the New Protest? The Truth Behind the Cockroach Janta Party
  • From Chitvan to Prabhat: Staying close to ground with Amol Parashar | Actor | OLF 2026
    Ananta Das: A Memoir In Verse | The only eye witness account narrated by victim | Book | OLF 2026
    Heeramandi is glorified in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Netflix series: Vidya Shah | Jalsa | OLF 2026
    Gen Z is on phones due to 500 AQI, no gardens, no public places or public libraries: Ria Chopra
    The Future of Odia Publishing: Who Will Write, Who Will Read? | OLF 2026 | Odisha
    How to transform mundane to monumental: Poems Across Time: One Family, Three Voices | OLF 2026
    Beyond Western Frameworks: A Fresh Perspective on Indian Feminism | OLF 2026
    Indians are defined by what we don't eat as much as what we eat due caste and class: Aali Kumar
    Are Elections the Only Measure of a Leader? | OLF 2026
    History falsehood exposed .The Truth About Indian History They Didn't Teach You: Amish Tripathi
  • History can be personal and impersonal: Anuja Chandramouli | Hidden History | OLF 2026
    The Little Book Of Goodbyes: Ravi Reflects On Memories And Life | OLF 2026 | The New Indian Express
    The Hidden History of Odia Cuisine | Sandeep & Alka on 'The Orissan in Orissa'