Let's face it — most literature fests are an acquired taste. Even seasoned, passionate readers who fawn over their preferred tomes and authors on online forums and at book clubs often steer clear of the sombre panel discussions that have come to be a hallmark of most 'serious' book festivals. A Mumbai-based start-up, Readsnet, is endeavouring to change that with a day-long festival named Twice Read. As the 24-year-old founder Harshala Chavan describes it, this is a festival that celebrates reading, while also giving bibliophiles a platform to connect with like-minded peers. Think of it as a half-way point between a Comic Con and a typical literary festival, she elaborates.

Anand Neelakanthan