By: Dr Avi Verma

Chicago will host its first major Indian literature festival on Saturday as Chicago Indian Arts launches the inaugural Chicago Indian Literature Festival at the historic Congress Plaza Hotel. Organizers said the event is the Midwest’s first large-scale festival dedicated entirely to Indian literature, storytelling, and cultural dialogue.

The day-long festival will bring together authors, poets, filmmakers, scholars, artists, and members of the Indian diaspora to celebrate India’s literary traditions across languages and genres. Festival founder Jigar Shah described the gathering as a cultural “homecoming” for Indian Americans reconnecting with stories, memories, and traditions that shaped generations.

Featured speakers include Rishad Tobaccowala, Sonali Dev, Jyoti Chand, Srikanth Reddy, Scott Sommer, and Victor Henderson. Sessions will explore themes including migration, identity, family, artificial intelligence in storytelling, fiction writing, and digital narratives.

Presented in partnership with the Consulate General of India in Chicago, the festival aims to become an annual cultural institution highlighting the growing influence of Indian and South Asian storytelling in the United States.