As the chill of November begins to brush the Himalayan foothills, the city of Dehradun will once again become a vibrant confluence of ideas, storytelling, and dialogue with the return of the Dehradun Literature Festival (DDLF) 2025 — its seventh edition.
What started as a modest literary gathering has now matured into one of North India’s most anticipated cultural events, offering a rich tapestry of literature, cinema, ecology, social thought, and increasingly, technology.
This year’s theme — “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (The World is One Family) is particularly resonant in a world fractured by conflict, climate change, misinformation, and widening social divides. The festival aims to channel literature as a unifying force — capable of bridging differences, fostering empathy, and reimagining futures.
The 2025 speaker list is an eclectic mix of celebrated writers, thinkers, and cultural icons:
- Imtiaz Ali – on storytelling in Indian cinema
- Usha Uthup – exploring music as narrative
- Vikram Sampath – history and nationalism
- Shefali Shah – the art of performance and expression
- Rujuta Diwekar – on body image, wellness, and narrative
Notably, former Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is also slated to speak, offering a rare insight into literature and constitutional morality.
If you are a reader, a writer, a teacher, an activist, or just someone yearning for connection in a fractured world — DDLF 2025 is calling you home.
When: 14th - 16th November.
Where: Doon International School, Dehradun.
