Fourth Green Literature Festival

We are thrilled to announce the fourth edition of the Green Literature Festival, the only literary festival dedicated to celebrating and honouring environmental literature for all age groups. Join us on December 7, 2024 for a day of inspiring talks, workshops, readings and networking with authors, publishers, organisations and voices who share our passion for the health of planet Earth.

7th December 2024 @ Century Club, Bengaluru

Registration begins at 9.30 am

Registration Charges for Main Event – Free (But viewers must register before entering the main hall)

Register and Pay at the venue

Venue - Wadiyar Hall / GLF Hall 2 / The Terrace / Baritone

9.30 am onwards

Welcome – Benedict Paramanand, Founder – Greenlitfest

10.15 am to 11.00 am

The Nilgiris in Focus: A Conservationist’s Nightmare

Vasanth Bosco - Author of The Voice of the Sentient Highlands and Regeneration Ecologist, UpStream Ecology

Dr Tarsh Thekaekara - Researcher, Conservationist and Co-founder of The Shola Trust and The Real Elephant Collective

With Monisha Raman, Independent Writer and Editor

11.00 am to 11.45 am

Environmental News: Accuracy vs Sensationalism

Dr P Gowri Shankar - Wildlife Biologist

Shailesh Shrivastava - Senior Editor, Mongabay India

With Trishala Ashok, Conservation Storyteller

11.45 am to 12.00 am - Tea Break

12.00 am to 12.30 pm

Marginlands: An Exploration of Indian Landscapes

Arati Kumar-Rao - Explorer, Author of Marginlands: Indian Landscapes on the Brink

With Aparna Karthikeyan, Award-winning Author of Nine Rupees an Hour, and five children’s books; Senior Fellow PARI

12.30 pm to 1.00 pm

How Editors Bring a Nature Book to Life

Bijal Vachharajani - Award-winning Author of children’s books and Editor, Pratham Books

Sudeshna Shome Ghosh - Editor and Publisher, Talking Cub

With Aparna Karthikeyan, Award-winning Author of Nine Rupees an Hour, and five children’s books; Senior Fellow PARI

1.00 pm to 1.45 pm - Networking Lunch

1.45 pm to 2.00 pm

Green Quiz by ATREE

2.00 pm to 2.45 pm

Rewilding: The Only Hope

Ravi Chellam - Senior Wildlife Biologist and Conservation Scientist, CEO, Metastring Foundation

Dr Alister Scott - Co-director, Global Rewilding Alliance, Professor of Practice, UCL Institute of Sustainable Resources and Urban Architect

With Seema Mundoli, Co-author of award-winning books, Faculty at Azim Premji University

2.45 pm to 3.30 pm

India’s Green Transition: Opportunities for Investors and Ventures

Nagaraja Prakasam - Author, Back to Bharat: In Search of a Sustainable Future, Mentor, IIMB NSRCEL

Sahar Mansoor - Author, Bare Necessities: How to Live a Zero-Waste Life, Founder, Bare Necessities

Rajan Mehta - Author, Backstage Climate: The Science and Politics Behind Climate Change, Founder, Climate Ventures Partner, Climate Labs

With Benedict Paramanand, Author, Founder, Green LitFest and Editor, SustainabilityNext

GLF Hall 2 (Opposite Baritone)

4.00 pm to 4.45 pm

Session Sponsor – Sustainable Green Initiative

Iconic Trees of India

Dr S. Natesh - Author, Iconic Trees of India: 75 Natural Wonders and Honorary Fellow, ATREE

With Lakshmi Ravinder Nair, Conservation communicator

GLF Awards Evening

5.30 pm to 7.30 pm

GLF Hall Two

Climate Anxiety to Action: The Writers’ Pitch

Matthew Pye - Author, Plato Tackles Climate Change, Philosophy Teacher and Founder, Climate Academy, Brussels

Dr Alister Scott - Co-director, Global Rewilding Alliance, Professor of Practice, UCL Institute of Sustainable Resources and Urban Architect

Rajan Mehta - Author, Backstage Climate: The Science and Politics Behind Climate Change, Founder, Climate Ventures Partner, Climate Labs

With Madhur Singh, Former Managing Editor, IndiaSpend and India Editor, Eco-Business, Festival Curator, Climate Communicator

2024 GLF Honour Book Awards Ceremony

Children Green Honour Book Awards

Green Fiction / Non-fiction

Green Business

Chief Guest – Suresh Heblikar, Environmentalist, Actor and Filmmaker

GLF Hall 2 (Opposite Baritone)

GLF Children's Green Literature Festival

11.00 am to 4.00 pm

Registration opens at 9.30 am

11.00 am to 11.45 am

An Interactive Conversation on Human-Animal Conflict

Shreya Bhat, Senior Manager, WWF-India

Avni Gupta, WWF-India

Emphasising interconnectedness and touching upon both Urban and Rural Environments by WWF India Team

11.45 am to 12.45 pm

Unravelling the Mysteries About Birds and their Nests

Garima Bhatia, Nature Conservation Foundation and

Niyatee Sharma, Author, My Nest is the Best

Join Garima in group activities, games and video screening that connect to the survival of birds. Learn more about the best nests in the natural world with Niyatee and create one of your own.

12.45 pm to 1.30 pm - Networking Lunch

1.30 pm to 2.00 pm

A Fun Quiz on Nature Themes - by WWF

Shreya Bhat, Senior Manager, WWF-India

Avni Gupta, WWF-India

2.00 pm to 2.30 pm

Readers’ Stand

An interactive session between readers and writers

Join a bunch of voracious readers as they discuss environmental writing for children. Bring your ideas, opinions and suggestions- literature needs more of them and so does the environment.

2.30 pm to 3.00 pm

Film Screening

Jaya Peter, Communication Head, ATREE

Radha Patkar, Visual Designer, ATREE

On the Graphic Novel Botanist and the Vanishing Orchid by ATREE. Along with an interactive reading session

3.00 pm to 3.30 pm

A Few of My Favourite Things by Canato Jimo: Reading and Drawing

Join Canato as he reads from his book Afo and I and sketch together with him

The Terrace (Workshops)

10.30 am – 12.00 pm

Preparing Teachers to Become Climate Evangelists

Matthew Pye, Author, Plato Tackles Climate Change, Philosophy Teacher, Founder, Climate Academy, Brussels

Jenny Pinto, Author, The Magical Everything, Design Director and Founder, Oorjaa

How do we prepare children for the future if we don’t give them a holistic climate education in class?

It's not an easy subject to teach because often, as teachers, our own understanding of the climate crisis tends to be fragmented and incomplete, thanks to the media coverage of it. As teachers and educators, one of the most crucial lens for understanding the crisis more holistically is to understand it at a systems level.

The Earth's planetary and natural systems are complex- but understanding this as teachers requires techniques. Join Matthew Pye, renowned climate change thought leader and author of No Common Sense; Philosophy Tackles Climate Change as he guides you in taking climate education to your students. Click here for more information about Pye. https://matthewpye.eu

12.00 pm – 1.30 pm

Environment Writing for Aspiring Writers by Mongabay India

Gopikrishna Warrier, Managing Editor and

Shailesh Shrivastava, Senior Editor, Mongabay India

Environmental storytelling is a powerful tool for raising awareness and driving action in the face of the global climate crisis. As environmental degradation intensifies, there is a need for fiction and non-fiction that can inspire readers to engage with these critical issues. Writers have the unique ability to weave narratives that not only educate but also resonate emotionally, encouraging readers to think about their role in protecting the planet.

What to expect:

• Understand the fundamentals of environmental writing.

• Learn how to identify and research relevant green topics.

• Gain skills to craft compelling narratives

2.00 pm – 2.30 pm

Nature Art Workshop: Create a Collaborative Art

Sambita Modak, Artist, Educator and Independent researcher

When was the last time you slowed down to notice the sounds of nature? Have you ever imagined what an ecosystem looks like based on its sounds? How about the biodiversity that thrives in it? Observe the natural world through soundscape recordings and reflect on your bond with nature as you unleash your inner artist through a vibrant, collaborative art activity that brings the diversity of the environment to life.

Open to beginners and intermediate artists. Materials will be provided.

3.30 pm – 4.30 pm

The Green Mic: Sharing Environmental Stories Through Conversations

A Podcasting Workshop by Ishika Ramakrishna, Host of The Thing About Wildlife and Doctoral Fellow, Centre for Wildlife Studies.

Podcasting is an excellent medium to reach diverse audiences in meaningful, engaging and entertaining ways, lifting words off of books, papers and people's minds and breathing fresh life into them. Join Ishika Ramakrishna on a journey of creation wherein you can script, narrate and record your way through the steps of producing a multilingual podcast episode and have your voice published on The Thing About Wildlife Podcast!

No former experience/expertise needed. Open to age group 15 and above.

Baritone

1.45 pm to 2.30 pm

Stories Under the Open Sky by Katha Books

Geeta Dharmarajan, Author

Journey with Nachi, the protagonist of Finding Tree: A Tale of Friendship and Discovery and understand how your curiosity can help the earth.

2.30 pm – 3.30 pm

Nature Art Workshop

Sambita Modak, Artist, Educator and Independent researcher