Ahmedabad Literary Festival 2025
The Literary Club and the University Library System are back with the much-awaited Literary Festival 2025. With the aim to expand the horizons of literature, we wish to bring, understand, and discuss powerful themes of societal possibilities that are both grim and hopeful. Our theme has long been a cornerstone of speculative fiction, offering profound insights into our fears, hopes, and societal structures: “Exploring Worlds of Possibility: From Utopia to Dystopia, and the Neutropia in Between.”
This theme invites exploration, engagement, and introspection into the different worlds of literature with various aspects of our lives and society. By delving into the profound connections between the world we live in today and the extremities of hope and fear, we aim to celebrate the transformative power of words in a constantly changing world while offering our audience a unique, thought-provoking, and captivating experience.
Gambit of Fates
This is a simulation-based event where participants will be divided into teams. All teams start at different locations, leaving some ambiguity about the opponent teams in the beginning until their face-offs. Additionally, each team will be equipped with a certain amount of resources that they will have to use further in the event. All teams will be put in the same situation. However, they'll have to overcome different obstacles and tasks. They will be given different prompts, such as war times, disasters, sacrifices, betrayals, etc., which will be communicated live through pre-recorded messages. A club member will accompany each group to ensure the smooth sailing of the event. The winning team will be determined based on the number of 'surviving' members and remaining resources.
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Time: 4:30 - 5:30 PM IST
Venue: Amphitheatre, Central Campus
Cyber Seige
The event focuses on the theme 'Neutropia.' It will have two teams, each with a specific number of flags. The first group will represent Utopia, and the second group will represent Dystopia. Each team's goal would be to reach Neutropia, meaning they would need to capture the flags from the other team. The flags have certain points that need to be accumulated for the teams to get to neutral and win the game. There will be a time limit for the game.
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025
Time: 2:30 PM IST
Venue: Activity Room 107, University Centre, Central Campus
Soul Walk
A Soul Walk is a peaceful activity where people will walk in a calm place, like a park or University, in the morning while listening to an interesting story. The story helps them think about their feelings and thoughts as they walk and immerse themselves at the moment. The quiet surroundings make it easier to focus and relax. After the walk, everyone will have some time to write down their thoughts and feelings about the experience. This will help them understand themselves better and feel more connected to their inner world and the story. The goal is to find peace and reflect on their journey with the story.
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 AM IST
Venue: Symphony Park, Thaltej
Timeless Tales: A classical Literature Workshop
This workshop will explore the enduring relevance of classical English literature through a multifaceted approach, combining expert insights and interactive analysis. The workshop features an interactive text analysis session where participants explore key excerpts from iconic works, such as Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice. The resource person will guide the students in deconstructing themes, literary devices, and character motivations, while group activities encourage diverse interpretations through assigned lenses like class struggle and gender roles. This workshop will enhance literary appreciation, critical thinking, and the ability to interpret classical texts from various perspectives.
Date: Friday, January 24, 2025
Time: 2:30 PM IST
Venue: Activity Room 107, University Centre, Central Campus
Utopia Unplugged: An Open Mic Event
The event aims to discuss people’s perception of utopia through an open mic, where people can present their thoughts through poetry, stories, spoken words, acts, music, etc. Through this medium of expression, we try to create a safe environment where people can discuss their idea of utopias, which for some people might be a place where they feel most comfortable, while for others, it might be a futuristic land full of opportunities. Along with the open mic, we also plan to have other modes of engagement with the audience on this topic, using soft boards where people can express themselves.
Date: Friday, January 24, 2025
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 PM IST
Venue: Amphitheatre, Central Campus
Desk Events
Bot or Not
This event will challenge participants to distinguish between human-written and AI-generated lines, set against the theme of Neutropia, a futuristic concept blending utopian and dystopian ideals to represent a modern society set in the middle ground between the two. We will provide participants with two lines—one from an author or novel and the other generated by AI. Their task is to identify which line was written by a human and which was crafted by artificial intelligence. This activity not only engages participants in the evolving discussion about creativity, authorship, and AI but also encourages critical thinking on the future of storytelling and imagination in the age of technology.
Aim and Answer
The "Dystopian Desk" invites participants into a world of imaginative storytelling by reimagining iconic characters from books and media in a dystopian setting. Participants will be given a character, such as Sherlock Holmes or Moana, and will create a short narrative or role about how the character would navigate a dystopian world. Will they lead a rebellion, adapt to survive, or succumb to chaos? This creative game fosters literary appreciation while exploring the universal appeal of dystopian themes—resilience, power, and morality. It challenges participants to think critically about character dynamics and adaptability in unfamiliar environments.
Blind Book Date
Giving a new twist to buying/gifting books by adding an element of mystery. Wrapping the books with clues on the top will entice people to explore different genres and expand their knowledge and reach of literature. We want to extend the reach of literature as a whole. Alongside achieving all this, we hope to help reading enthusiasts by solving the question of “what to read next?”
