Speakers for Mountain Echoes 2011 announced.
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Mountain Echoes is a unique literary and cultural festival set in the pristine beauty of Bhutan. An initiative of the India-Bhutan Foundation in association with Siyahi, it aims to provide a platform for authors to engage in cultural dialogue and celebrate tales of a shared landscape in the Himalayan region. The festival enjoys the patronage of Her Majesty, the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck.
Man has forever been haunted by the idea of echo. Sometimes in the form of retribution but often for the plain joy of hearing your voice resound on the other side – echoes are both, far-reaching and beautiful. Inspired by this poetic phenomenon, Mountain Echoes is making a comeback following the overwhelming response received by the literati in both Bhutan and India last year. In its second year, Mountain Echoes is bigger and better. There is no other way to grow but to learn to see the world from another perspective. –Mountain Echoes gives this opportunity to one and all by allowing them to enter in an almost parallel universe for four days this year between 20th to 23rd May. Bask in the beautiful weather of Thimphu, Bhutan and avail the opportunity to view theatrics, literary discussions and workshops against the striking, mountainous backdrop.
HM Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck
HM Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck
Lyonpo Jigmi Yoezer Thinley
Gulzar
Imtiaz Ali
Indrajit Hazra
Javed Akhtar
John Elliott
Kai Bird
Karma Singye Dorji
Kencho Lham
Kunzang Choden
Laila Tyabji
Lam Kezang Chhoephel
Lily Wangchhuk
Lingchen Jurmey Dorji
Malashri Lal
Malvika Singh
Mita Kapur
Namgay Zam
Namita Bhandare
Namita Gokhale
Nitasha Kaul
Pavan Varma
Pramod Kumar
Pushpesh Pant
Rinchen Khandu
Samit Basu
Shobhaa De
Siok Sian Dorji
Sunil Sethi
Sunita Kohli
Tshering Tashi
Tshering Tobgay
Valmik Thapar
Aman Nath
Anita Roy
Anuradha Roy
Chandrahas Choudhury
Chang Dorji
Dasho Karma Ura
Dasho Kinley Dorji
Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen
David Davidar
Devdutt Pattanaik
Dr. Chencho Dorji
Dr. Sonam Kinga
Francis Wacziarg
Gaurav Jain
Gopilal Acharya
Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck is the author of Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan. The book provides unique and intimate insights into Bhutanese culture and society. She is also the author of Of Rainbows and Clouds: The Life of Yab Ugyen Dorji as told to his daughter.
Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck has been actively involved in promoting social causes such as health, education and family issues. Her compassion and interest in the welfare of the nation’s women and children leads her to interact actively with all segments of the Bhutanese population. She is the patron of the Bhutan Textile Museum in Thimphu which she helped establish in 2001.
Lyonpo Jigmi Yoezer Thinley is the first elected Prime Minister to the Government of Bhutan. He was appointed as Bhutan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations office. His government works to base its policies on Gross National Happiness rather than purely economic considerations.
Aman Nath, hotelier, historian, and heritage conservationist has authored Jaipur: The Last Destination, Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan: Living Traditions of India, Dome Over India- Rashtrapati Bhavan, Horizons: The Tata-India Century, Palaces of Rajasthan, Brahma’s Pushkar: Ancient Indian Pilgrimage, Art for Freedom, The Monumental India Book and The Sacred India Book among many others. Aman Nath is Co-Chairman of the Neemrana Group of hotels along with Francis Wacziarg.
Anita Roy, a regular reviewer, critic and freelance writer, is currently senior editor for children’s and young adults’ books with Zubaan, and an associate editor of Geo magazine. She has edited the short story collection, 21 Under 40 and co-edited the photography book, Women Changing India with Urvashi Butalia.
Anuradha Roy is an editor at an independent press, Permanent Black. Her first novel, An Atlas of Impossible Longing, has been published in sixteen countries and translated into thirteen languages across the world. The Folded Earth is her second novel. She won the Picador-Outlook Non-fiction Award in 2004.
Chandrahas Choudhury is a novelist and literary critic based in Mumbai. He is the author of the novel, Arzee the Dwarf, and is the editor of the recently published anthology India: A Traveler's Literary Companion. He writes the literary weblog, The Middle Stage, and is also a contributing editor for The Caravan.
Chang Dorji is the author of The Clear Mirror of Archery in Bhutan, Clear Exposition of Bhutanese Architecture and Jigten Metsey Lamtoen. He has served as a civil servant and was also a consultant and lecturer at Institute of Language and Cultural Studies in Bhutan.
Dasho Karma Ura is President of the Centre for Bhutan Studies. In 2010, he was awarded the Druk Khorlo (Wheel of the Dragon Country) by His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. His books include The Hero with a Thousand Eyes, Deities, Archers and Planners in the Era of Decentralization and The Bhutanese Development Story. He is also the translator of the classic epic, The Ballad of Pemi Tshewang Tashi: A Wind Borne Feather. Leadership of the Wise is his latest book.
Dasho Kinley Dorji, a former journalist, is now Secretary to the Ministry of Information and Communications in the Royal Government of Bhutan. His book, Within the Realm of Happiness is a collection of short stories, memoirs, and essays representing a mix of childhood memories, travel tales, and contemporary reflections on a rapidly changing populace.
Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen is the Secretary of the Dzongkha Development Commission which is a leading institute of Bhutan working for the advancement of Dzongkha, the national language of the country. He is the author of Religious Way of Life-The Bhutanese Way.
David Davidar is the author of The House of Blue Mangoes, which was selected as a New York Times Notable Book, and The Solitude of Emperors, which was a finalist for a regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. His new novel, Ithaca, will be published in Fall 2011.
Devdutt Pattanaik is the Chief Belief Officer of the Future Group. A self-taught mythologist, he is a consultant to several companies on issues related to culture and leadership. His books include Myth=Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, The Pregnant King, Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art, Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata and An Identity Card for Krishna.
Dr. Chencho Dorji, is presently working as a consultant psychiatrist and Head of the Department of Psychiatry in the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital, Thimphu. In 2007 Dr. Dorji won the prestigious Hubert Humphrey Fellowship to study drug addiction prevention, treatment and education at the Johns Hopkins University, US. This year he has been nominated for the Geneva Prize for Human Rights in Psychiatry.
Dr. Sonam Kinga is a political anthropologist writing on Bhutanese history, politics, society and culture. He has a keen interest in Bhutan's oral traditions and has translated two lozeys (a poetic genre, native to Bhutan), Gelong Sumdar Tashi: Songs of Sorrow and Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck and the Younghusband Mission to Lhasa. His other notable works include Changes in Bhutanese Society: Impact of Fifty Years of Reforms and Kingship, Polity and Democracy: A Biography of the Bhutanese State. At present he serves as the Deputy Chairperson of National Council in Bhutan.
Francis Wacziarg established the Neemrana Hotels Private Limited with Aman Nath and is successfully running the seventeen iconic heritage hotels all over India. A founding member of INTACH and a trustee on India Foundation for the Arts, he actively promotes the arts as a bridge between people and cultures. He has co-authored Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan: Living Traditions of India and Rajasthan: The Painted Walls of Shekhavati with Aman Nath.
Gaurav Jain is the Literary Editor at Tehelka magazine where he writes on books, film, art and other pop culture phenomenon such as the effects of reality TV on small-town India and the hidden story behind the Aarushi Talwar murder case. Before this, he studied in Philadelphia and Oxford followed by several years of business consulting work in Washington DC.
Gopilal Acharya is the author of Bhutanese Folktales (from the South and the East). His first work of fiction, With a Stone in My Heart, was longlisted for the 2008 Man Asian Literary Award. A journalist for the past ten years, he reported for Kuensel and later edited Bhutan Times and The Journalist.
Gulzar is an iconic Indian poet, lyricist, filmmaker and writer. He has written well-known films like Anand, Guddi, Bawarchi, and Namak Haram. He is also the author of many books on poetry, short stories and several books for children. Gulzar was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan in 2004 for his contribution to the arts. He has also won a number of National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards in various categories. He shared the Oscar with A. R. Rahman for best original song for the song Jai Ho for the film, Slumdog Millionaire.
Imtiaz Ali is an Indian film director, actor and writer. Starting out with his first film in 2005, the critically acclaimed, Socha Na Tha to the recent blockbuster hits Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal, he has consistently reinvented the genre of intelligent romantic comedies for Indian audiences. In 2008, he won the Filmfare Award for best dialogue for his film Jab We Met. His latest directorial venture is Rockstar.
Indrajit Hazra, a journalist and a writer. His books include The Burnt Forehead of Max Saul, The Garden of Earthly Delights and The Bioscope Man. He works as a journalist with Hindustan Times in New Delhi and writes the popular Sunday column Red Herring. Indrajit is currently giving finishing touches to his novel, tentatively titled Bulganin's Girl.
Javed Akhtar, celebrated Hindi and Urdu poet, lyricist and scriptwriter, has scripted super hit Bollywood films like, Zanjeer, Deewar and Sholay. His publications include Tarkash, his first collection of Urdu poetry, Talking Films and Talking Songs. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007. He has won fourteen Filmfare Awards along with five National Awards as Best Lyricist. He is currently a Member of the Rajya Sabha.
John Elliott is a former Financial Times journalist who has worked in London, South Asia and Hong Kong-China. Now based in New Delhi, he writes a current affairs blog -http://ridingtheelephant.wordpress.com/. As the FT's South Asia correspondent in the mid-1980s, he visited Bhutan and interviewed His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
Kai Bird was an associate editor of The Nation magazine. His books include The Chairman: John J. McCloy and the Making of the American Establishment, The Color of Truth: McGeorge Bundy and William Bundy - Brothers in Arms and Hiroshima's Shadow: Writings on the Denial of History and the Smithsonian Controversy among many others. He is the co-author with Martin J. Sherwin of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. His latest book, Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956–1978, was released by Scribner.
Karma Singye Dorji is the author of Dreaming of Prayer Flags: Stories and Images from Bhutan. He is a guest editor for Tashi Delek, the inflight magazine of Bhutan’s national airline, Drukair. Karma now contributes a fiction column for Bhutan's newest weekly, The Journalist. Karma received the Dag Hammarskjold Award for Journalists awarded by the UN Correspondents Association, New York in 1995.
Kencho Lham is a repertoire of knowledge on Bhutanese folklore ranging from legendary epics to short stories. She is also a storehouse of information on Lozay and Tsangmo (ballads). During her youth she used to be the lead singer and dancer especially for the Zhungdra (Bhutan’s traditional song and dance form). When time permits she volunteers at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck library in Thimphu to narrate folklore to young children.
Kunzang Choden has been writing on Bhutanese oral traditions, folklore and women. Her books include Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti, Dawa: The Story of a Stray Dog in Bhutan, The Circle of Karma, Chilli and Cheese- Food and Society in Bhutan and Tales in Colour and other stories. Her latest books, Aunty Mouse and Room in your Heart will be launched at the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival, 2011.
Laila Tyabji is a designer, writer and founder member and Chairperson of DASTKAR, a Society for Crafts and Craftspeople. Laila's work with artisans over the last thirty years includes the chikan workers of SEWA Lucknow, Lambani tribals, ari, sujni, patchwork, and mirrorwork craftswomen in Karnataka, Kashmir, Kutch and Bihar. She is the editor of Threads and Voices: Behind the Indian Textile Tradition and a voice in Governmental and non-governmental policy planning for the craft and development sector.
Lam Kezang Chhoephel is a freelance consultant and translator after his retirement from civil services. He has authored and translated a large number of books, some of which include The Cultural History of Tashiyangtse, Description of Gom Kora, The Words of Loving Heart and Heart Essence of the Great Masters.
Lily Wangchhuk is the Executive Director of Bhutan Media Foundation. She is also the member of RENEW and the Board Director of The Bhutan Association for Women Entrepreneurs. She is the author of the award-winning book, Facts about Bhutan. She was awarded the Lions Club Award for Outstanding Diplomat in promoting good bilateral relations between Bhutan and India in 2003.
Lingchen Jurmey Dorji, an information professional at the Gaeddu College of Business Studies, Bhutan, is currently working on his debut novel. He has written a number of articles which have been published by Kuensel, Ministry of Education, Yeewong, Drukpa and recently by the World Oral Literature Project, University of Cambridge. Lingchen received the National Open Essay Competition Prize organized by the National Steering Committee for the Coronation and Centenary Celebration in 2008.
Malashri Lal is a Professor at the Department of English, University of Delhi. She has held senior administrative positions in the same University as Joint Director of the South Campus and as Director of the Women’s Studies & Development Centre. Author of twelve books, her recent works include the co-edited volumes, Speaking for Myself: Anthology of Asian Women’s Writing, and In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology.
Malvika SIngh is the author of Delhi: India in One City, Snowdon's India, New Delhi: Making of a Capital, and has edited Freeing the Spirit: Iconic Women of India. She is a journalist and member of the General Assembly of Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She is also on the board of the National Culture Fund and a member of the National Book Trust of India and Museum Committee of Bal Bhawan. She was the editor of The India Magazine and the publisher of, Seminar-a journal of ideas and alternatives.
Mita Kapur is the founder and CEO of Siyahi, India’s largest literary consultancy. She is also a freelance journalist covering social and developmental issues along with travel, food, lifestyle and humour stories. As a part of Siyahi, she doubles up as a literary agent along with conceptualising and directing literary events. She has authored a food narrative, The F-Word.
Namgay Zam is a television anchor and producer for the Bhutan Broadcasting Service. Her programmes cover a wide-range of issues that concern everyone from the ordinary citizen to key decision-makers.
Namita Bhandare studied journalism at Stanford University and joined the Sunday magazine in 1991. After a stint with India Today, she worked with the Hindustan Times as the editor of its Saturday paper. She has edited several books as part of the Hindustan Times leadership series. Her first book, Madhavrao Scindia: A Life, co-written with Vir Sanghvi, was published by Penguin in 2009. She now runs an aggregate blog, www.asianwindow.com.
Namita Gokhale is a novelist, publisher and Co-Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival. Her books include Paro: Dreams of Passion, Gods, Graves, and Grandmother, A Himalayan Love Story, Mountain Echoes - Reminiscences of Kumaoni Women, The Book of Shadows, The Book of Shiva, Shakuntala: The Play of Memory, The Puffin Mahabharata and the recent anthology In Search Of Sita. Her new novel, Priya: In Incredible Indyaa will be released in May 2011. Founder Director for Siyahi's Translating Bharat conferences, Namita is the Co-Director of Mountain Echoes literary festival.
Nitasha Kaul, a Kashmiri novelist, has authored Imagining Economics Otherwise. Her first novel, Residue was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2009. She is currently completing a book about Himalayan history and politics of Bhutan.
Pavan Varma, a writer-diplomat, has held many key positions in the Government of India. Currently, he is India's Ambassador to Bhutan. He has written over a dozen books including Ghalib: The Man, The Times, Krishna: The Playful Divine, The Great Indian Middle Class, The Book of Krishna, Mansions at Dusk: The Havelis of Old Delhi and Being Indian - The Truth about Why the 21st Century Will Be India's. His latest book is Becoming Indian: The Unfinished Revolution of Culture and Identity.
Pramod Kumar KG is the Managing Director of Eka Cultural Resources & Research, a museum consulting company in New Delhi. He set up the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing at Jaipur and was its Founder Director. He was the first Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2005 and is currently the Consulting Editor from India for the Textiles Asia Journal. He curated the exhibition, Bhutan: An Eye to History at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi in 2009 which was inaugurated by His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan. His book on Royal Photographic Portraiture in India will be released later this year. Pramod Kumar is the Co-Director of the Mountain Echoes literary festival.
Pushpesh Pant, author of the internationally bestselling book, India Cookbook, is a food writer and archivist. For the past few years he has renounced Indian foreign policy in favor of Indian food that obsesses him. Some of his books on food include Buddhist Peace Recipes, Food Path: Cuisine along the Grand Trunk Road, from Kabul to Kolkata and Hindu Soul Recipes among many others. Currently Pushpesh is working on a book on paan and the biography of Almora - the Himalayan town where his family roots are.
Rinchen Khandu, scholar and renowned translator, is the author of the book, Buddhism and the Environment. He has compiled a Dzongkha-English dictionary, Dzonkha-English Dictionary: Topic based approach with Romanization and a Dzongkha dictionary, A New Method.
Samit Basu is the author of five best-selling novels: The Simoqin Prophecies, The Manticore's Secret and The Unwaba Revelations, the three parts of the Game World fantasy trilogy; Terror on the Titanic, a young adult novel, and his new superhero novel, Turbulence, currently Hachette India's most successful Indian title, soon to become a Bollywood movie. Samit has also written two comics series, Devi and The Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma, and a graphic novel, Untouchable, co-written with Mike Carey.
Siok Sian Dorji has been telling Bhutanese stories through her documentaries and news/magazine articles as an effort to record Bhutan’s rich culture and identity. She is the Director of the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy and has been supporting training on creative and non-fiction writing in Bhutan.
Sunil Sethi is a journalist, columnist and television presenter. He hosts the weekly literary show Just Books on NDTV. He was on the founding editorial team of India Today and been a columnist for the Times of India and the Indian Express. Sunil is the author of Indian Interiors and Inside Asia. His new book, The Big Bookshelf: Sunil Sethi in Conversation with 30 Famous Writers was launched at the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2011.
Sunita Kohli is an interior designer, architectural restorer and furniture manufacturer. In 1992, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, "for contribution to national life by excellence in the field of Interior Design and Architectural Restoration". She has founded the Museum of Women in the Arts, India. She has contributed essays in The Millennium Book on New Delhi and Paradise Found: Journeys through Noble Gardens of Asia. Her forthcoming works are a children's book on Delhi's architecture, Tanjore Paintings and Awadhi Cuisine.
Tshering Tashi is the co-author of Bold Bhutan Beckons, Symbols of Bhutan and the author of Mysteries of the Raven Crown. He writes for the Bhutans national newspaper Kuensel and contributes articles to international magazines. He is also a reviewer of the Asian Book Review. He is board of director of the Royal Society of Protection Nature and the Australia Bhutan Friendship Association.
Tshering Tobgay, Member of Parliament representing Sombaykha Constitutency in Haa, is the Leader of the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party in the National Assembly of Bhutan. He writes regularly on his popular blog called Life and Politics in Democratic Bhutan.
Shobhaa De is one of Indias top best-selling authors. Her books include Socialite Evenings, Starry Nights, Sultry Days, Second Thoughts, Spouse The Truth about Marriage, and Shobhaa at Sixty among many others. She has received several awards for her journalistic contributions. Her vastly popular columns appear in nearly every newspaper and magazine of note in India, including the Times of India. Her newest book, Sethji is being published by Penguin India later this year.
Valmik Thapar is one of India's most respected wild-life experts and conservationists. A natural historian, he has authored fourteen books, several articles and produced a wide range of programmes for television. He is also known for his documentaries and narration on India's natural habitat for BBC, Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic Channel. His books include The Tiger's Destiny, Wild Tigers of Ranthambore, Secret Life of Tigers, and The Tiger: Soul of India which will be released this year.
Combining Carnatic, Hindustani, jazz, folk, electronic, and drum-n-bass, Vivek Rajagopalan’s music creates rippling sound scapes that are edgy as much as international; and if world music today is a melting pot of cultures & genres, then Vivek's music is a drop of spicy red curry in the concoction. In 2007, Dancing with Shiva, an album combining new age sounds with the powerful chants of Shiva was released under Times Music. Moving Images, his first solo album, a rendition of his life’s experiences was released under Blue Frog Records. Today, Vivek has succeeded in creating a niche for himself even in the usually ultra-commercial ad jingle circuit and has Mumbai Calling, a British sitcom to his credit.
This year, Mountain Echoes, in its second edition brings two great workshops for literature enthusiastics in Thimphu.
While one workshop, led by prominent writer and critic, Anita Roy, shares ideas on the craft of writing for young aspiring writers, the second workshop, led by popular film-maker Imtiaz Ali, will delve into the many aspects of script-writing.
A Writer's Kitchen: A Creative Writing Workshop with Anita Roy
(read more)
Scripts Aaj Kal: an interactive workshop on script writing in the contemporary times with Imtiaz Ali
PLEASE REGISTER AT THE EARLIEST. LIMITED SEATS ONLY, ON FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVE BASIS.
(register here)
A WRITER'S KITCHEN
Creative Writing Workshop with Anita Roy
Date: 22nd May 2011 | Time: 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Venue: Nehru Wangchuck Center
30 SEATS ONLY ON FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.
PLEASE REGISTER AT THE EARLIEST
Age Group: 16 to 20 years
Anita Roy, a regular reviewer, critic and freelance writer, is currently senior editor for childrens' and young adults' books with Zubaan, and Associate Editor of Geo Magazine. She has edited the short story collection, 21 Under 40 and co-edited the photography book, Women Changing India with Urvashi Butalia. She was one of the founders and trustees of the Bookaroo Trust for Childrens Literature and has been on the judging panels of the Crossword Book Awards. She is a consultant for the Jumpstart workshops on childrens publishing in collaboration with the German Book Office.
The Workshop: Drawing on her 23 years of experience as a publisher, writer and critic, Anita Roy will lead the workshop on the craft of writing: developing your own personal voice, building characters, not losing the plot, and the perils and pitfalls of the writing life. There will be short writing exercises included, so come prepared with pen and paper, an open mind - and lots of good ideas! The workshop will be conducted in English and will focus on narrative fiction (rather than poetry). It is aimed at aspiring young writers who may or may not have been previously published.
SCRIPTS AAJ KAL
an interactive workshop on script writing in the contemporary times with Imtiaz Ali
Date: 21st May 2011 | Time: 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Venue: Hotel Taj Tashi
75 SEATS ONLY ON FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.
Imtiaz Ali - Starting out with his first film in 2005, the critically acclaimed, Socha Na Tha to the recent blockbuster hits Jab We Met in 2007 and Love Aaj Kal in 2009, Imtiaz Ali has consistently reinvented the genre of intelligent romantic comedies for Indian audiences. In 2008, he won the Filmfare Award for best dialogue for his film Jab We Met. He was also nominated in the best director and best film category for the same film. He is currently working on Rockstar, his latest directorial venture, which is slated to hit theatres in a few weeks.
Workshop details: This will be an intense and interactive workshop where Imtiaz will delve into the many aspects of scriptwriting for both amateur and seasoned film enthusiasts. The session will include an introductory talk by Ali on the ever-changing demands of the film industry and the importance of developing an individual writing style. Clippings from movies will be taken as examples of good cinematic efforts to build on discussions detailing the contemporary style of script writing.
Download the
in-depth report
The festival last year was received with great enthusiasm by the people of Bhutan. It was attended not only by writers and book lovers but also saw dignitaries, high ranking officials, members of Parliament and Ministers from the Royal Government of Bhutan. Young school and college students were also present at all sessions of the festival in large numbers. Mountain Echoes also attracted the attention of keen and engaged audiences from India, apart from tourists travelling from Singapore, Malaysia and Shanghai who planned their trip to Bhutan to coincide with the Mountain Echoes Festival.
Bhutans first literary festival got extensive media attention from Bhutan and also Indian as well as international journalists. Mountain Echoes was covered by some of the premier TV channels, newspapers and magazines. The festival made its appearance on channels like NDTV in India and BBS in Bhutan. Kuzoo FM in Bhutan aired the interviews of some of the key authors attending the festival. Bhutan newspapers and magazines like Kuensel, Bhutan Today and Bhutan Observer carried detailed coverage of the festival. Indian publications like Hindustan Times, Mail Today, Indian Express, Outlook, Mid Day, Live Mint, PTI, Times of India, Open, The Asian Age, Business Standard and many others also covered the festival. International magazines and newspapers like The Daily Beast, The Independent, BBC and The Republica also wrote about the festival.
Mountain Echoes – A literary festival
Mountain Echoes is a unique literary and cultural festival set in the pristine beauty of Bhutan.
The festival enjoys the patronage of Her Majesty, the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck.
Conceptualised by His Excellency Pavan Varma, Indian Ambassador to Bhutan the festival is an initiative by the India-Bhutan Foundation in association with Siyahi to share the many myths, legends and folklore from Bhutan and the Himalayan region of India.
The focus of the festival is to explore and celebrate the rich literary culture of both the countries.
Words hold Centrestage
The Hindu
5 September 2010
Bhutan Literary Festival
Platform
July 2010
Mountain Echoes from the Magic Kingdom
The Telegraph
17 June 2010
Drukonian Moves
Outlook
14 June 2010
Literary Tourism: Trailing Authors, Books, Festivals
15 June 2010
Mountain Echoes: Bhutan's Literary Festival
CNNGo
01 June 2010
Mountain Notes of Books, Bhutan and the Blues
The Sunday Guardian
13 June 2010
How to Tame your Dragon
Open
29 May 2010
The Mystique and Magic of Bhutan
The Asian Age
30 May 2010
Sunil Sethi: Is Bhutan Ready to Rock?
Business Standard
High Culture
Once upon a time, in Thimpu..
The Times of India
Mountain Echoes in Thimphu
Seminar Magazine
INDIAN COUNCIL
FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS
Mountain Echoes is free for everyone to attend.
Please contact our travel partner, Le Passage to India(LPTI) to get the best travel deals to Bhutan.
Check out the Special Mountain Echoes Package from Le Passage to India
Contact person: Mr. S. N. Rai
E-mail ID: snrai_goindia.co.in
For more information, visit LPTI's special page for people planning to travel to Bhutan for Mountain Echoes 2011, here.
Have a query? Drop us a message and we will get back to you immediately.
