A name which needs no introduction. Ruskin Bond is an eminent contemporary Indian writer of the British descent. He has written over 500 short stories, multiple essays and more than forty books for children. His work has also been adapted for television and main stream films. He was awarded the Sahitya Academy Award in 1992 for ‘Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra’, his novel in English. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Mr. Bond currently resides in Landour, Mussoorie.

Imtiaz Ali is a phenomenal film director, producer, actor, and writer, known for redefining urban romances and showcasing a new outlook on relationships. Debuting with the movie Socha Na Tha (2005), he released blockbuster movies like Jab We Met(2007), Rockstar (2011), and Highway (2014) to name a few. He always leaves his audience mesmerized, without any fail, through his grasping stories, visualised into a ruminative movie. Over the years, he has been the backbone of the Dehradun Literature Festival and has been an affluent storyteller.

He joined the Indian Police Service in 1989 and served in various challenging assignments in the state of UP and Uttarakhand. He was instrumental in eliminating terrorism from the Tarai region of Nainital. Currently, he is the Director General of the Police (DGP), Uttarakhand. He served in CRPF for a short while and then did his major central deputation tenure in the BSF. In BSF he was posted as Inspector General (Adm) and Inspector General Punjab Frontier where he helped in raising the profile of the Force. He was presented the ‘Maharana Pratap Trophy’ by Union Home Minister of India for best operational performance in 2014. He received the UN Medal for serving in strife torn Kosovo in the year 2001. He was awarded the Indian Police Medal for Long and Meritorious services in 2006. He was also awarded President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service on the occasion of Republic Day 2013.He has been associated with DLF since the inception in 2017.

Samraant Virmani, a young entrepreneur has his roots in Dehradun. He started a renowned school for primary education – Wonder Years to give a strong foundation to the future of India. He also founded Heads Up Entertainment – a renowned and leading events company in Dehradun that has carved a niche for itself in the events industry. Besides other established properties, Samraant is the youngest President in the history of Doon Club and also the curator and founder of Dehradun Literature Festival which is currently being held for the fourth consecutive year. He is a successful planner and is an established name in the industry. He was awarded the Times of India Brand Icon award for excellence in the field of events.

Bhairavi Jani is a fourth-generation entrepreneur, developmental enthusiast and an avid philanthropist. She is the Chairperson and Founder of IEF Entrepreneurship Foundation and Executive Director of SCA Group of Companies founded in 1896. Bhairavi has been listed as one of the 25 most Powerful Women in India by the India Today publication. She has been profiled as Stree Shakti (Woman Power) person by CNBC Awaaz and featured as a Young Turk by CNBC TV 18. She has been listed as one of the 10 women exemplars by the Hindustan Times and Business Today Magazine has featured her as the Supply Chain Maven.

Priyal Bhardwaj is an accomplished Social Worker and State General Secretary at BJP - Mahila Morcha, Delhi. With a focus on underprivileged women and children, she founded the Sangini Saheli Foundation and actively serves as a member of DSLSA and ICC committees. Priyal also excels as a Fashion Designer. A dynamic professional with diverse expertise, she exemplifies dedication to social causes, women's empowerment, and artistic creativity.

Randhir Arora, the owner of Book World Dehradun, is part of a book selling family spanning three generations, from 1923. An alumnus of St Joseph’s Academy Dehradun, he joined his family business in 2001 and since then has been fully supporting the cause of books; be marketing, selling, promoting authors or reading sessions.

Richa Anirudh is a renowned Indian Journalist who started her journey with DD-National, as a freelance anchor. She was honored with the prestigious Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Award in the year 2020 as well as the Human Rights Award in the year 2019. She is the founder of two NGOs namely Meri Laadli Foundation & Ayona Digital and Communication Development Foundation.

Dr. Ruby Gupta is the award-winning bestselling author of eight books including No Illusions in Xanadu, A Degree in Death (Long Listed for the Crossword Award), Maya and Khushwant Singh: Reality and Myth. Her Technical Communication books are included in the syllabi of various universities. Having worked with Mirror Today, The Tribune, M.P. Chronicle, and The Free Press Journal, she has been teaching MBA/B.Tech/BA/BSc students and guiding Ph.D. scholars for over 25 years. She was the Coordinator, DIT-MIT (USA) research programme, and Coordinator, TEQIP, World Bank Project. Awarded the GSE (USA) by Rotary International, and the Pratibha Samman Award (Journalism), she is Professor & HOD Humanities at the Indian Military Academy.

Milee Ashwarya is a publisher at Ebury Publishing and Vintage Publishing in Penguin Random House India. Her focus has been on championing the best voices in fiction and non-fiction while publishing a range of bestsellers across distinctive segments. A TEDx speaker, she is passionate about issues related to working women, parenting and the environment. She was awarded the ‘Women Achievers’ Samman 2017’, for publishing, by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) and was also awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award 2017 for Excellence in Publishing by Hindu College, Delhi University.

An eminent criminal lawyer by profession and a poet by passion, Mr. Atul Pundir launched his book, ‘Itni Si Toh Baat Hai’ with Mr. Stephen Alter in 2018. Ever since then, he has continued to promote the heritage and history of Dehradun through his writing, in various festivals and events across the country.

Mrigank Pandey’s journey started with Bachelors and Masters in Sanskrit from Garhwal University and then eventually working as a journalist in the Dainik Jagran. He has a diploma in Film making and a Specialization in Story and Screenplay Writing from Whistling Woods Academy, Mumbai. He joined as a Hindi and Sanskrit teacher in Scindia School, Gwalior from where he shifted to The Doon School, Dehradun in 2012. He has been associated with the Dehradun Literature Festival since its inception in 2017.

Lokesh Ohri is a well-known heritage expert, a conservationist, an anthropologist and a heritage preservation idol. Ever since the inception of his career he has taken charge of numerous heritage walks, reintroducing the notabilities of our heritage to the interested audiences to help them return intellectually enriched. He believes in promoting slow tourism to foster the restoration of the Kumaon Hills and many significant forts in the Himalayan region. He co-founded the eminent Viraasat Festival in Uttarakhand. He is also a well renowned writer with 3 published titles under his name.

Mrs. Jyotsana Brar, the former principal of Welham Girls’ School, Dehradun. Mrs. Brar is the recipient of the ‘Pride of Uttarakhand’ Award by the governor of the state. She was also awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the ‘Indian Public Schools Conference’. She was also the founding principal of Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls’ Public School, Jodhpur. Mrs. Brar is also on the advisory board, at the Latika Roy Foundation of the mentally challenged.

H.S. Mann is the Director of Doon International School, Riverside Campus. He completed his graduation from the Delhi University and later pursued a Masters degree in Business Administration at University of Queensland, Australia. Mr. Maan’s passion for providing world-class education made him start the Doon International, Riverside Campus which has been declared as the Number One, Emerging High Potential Schools in India by Education World. HS Maan has been featured in Education World list of 33 Young Rising Stars of Indian Education.

Mr. Yogesh Kumar is a senior journalist, who has a passion of writing, and is a voracious reader. He completed his education from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. His career in reporting has been ongoing for over nineteen years. His sincere passion towards literature and poetry connects him to the Dehradun Literature Festival.

Saumya is a writer, poet, educator, public speaker and communications specialist. In workshops, courses and performances organised over the past many years, she has evangelised poetry as an art form everyone can understand and relate with. She engages with Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi and English poetry and crafts narratives around classic poems which are easy to comprehend. Owing to her outstanding achievements and exemplary speaking skills, she is a well recognised stage personality, an active public speaker and has curated and hosted several cultural, literary and corporate events. She is a passionate educator, teaching poetry, mythology, literature, marketing and communications to school and college students, along with crafting modules for teacher training. She also helps agencies create communication and brand strategies, works as a voice over artist, reads like a maniac, and runs a boutique mudhouse resort in Himachal Pradesh.