Back in 2009, when writer-columnist Anil Dharker was asked if he'd be keen on organising the city's first international literature festival, he responded almost immediately: "Why not?" Looking back at his own naiveté, Dharker says, "I thought, how difficult could that be? You just call up a few writers, speak to sponsors, book a venue, and that was it."

Dharker would learn it the hard way. "Putting together a literature festival is incredibly complex." International writers are mostly over-booked, and curating a session can get taxing. "And, then of course, getting sponsors is far from easy," he says.