IIM Udaipur is all set to begin another weekend of excitement and entertainment – This time though, with a literary bent. The Udaipur Leap-day Lit Fest 2016 or ULLF’16 is the flavor of this weekend. A day-long event on the day of the Sabbath and of the leap year – Sunday 28^th February – ULLF16 is a perfect way to unwind and indulge into some literary conversations.

The institute has invited some of the renowned celebrities in the fields of art, dance, writing, film direction and journalism. Luminaries like: Ms. Margie Sastry, author of stories for the Indian classic tales of Amar Chitra Katha and the writer for several TV series like Surabhi, KhanaKhazana and Gurukul; Mr. Divya Prakash Dubey, a B-school graduate who later published Hindi novels such as Terms and Conditions apply among others.

The event also has a few artists from the beloved film fraternity. Mr. Bejoy Nambiar, story writer, screen writer and director of critically acclaimed short films Reflections and Rahu. He also directed other commercial movies such as Shaitaan, David and the Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar starrer ‘Wazir’.Other speakers from the B-town include Ms. ShefaliBhushan, an upcoming Indian feature film director who made her directorial debut with Jugni – released recently in January 2016.

As has been the legacy of the IIMU’s Litfest, where previous editions have included not just authors like Ms. Rashmi Bansal, author of Stay hungry Stay foolish and author of the book Chanakya’s chant – Ashwin Sanghi; but also artists like,Mr. Piyush Mishra of the Gangs of Wasseypur and Coke Studio fame and the celebrated Indian dancer and Padma Bhushan awardee Ms. Mallika Sarabhai.

This year too, the institute has a line-up of other artist including Mr. NavtejJohar,Bharatanatyam exponent and a choreographer who among many other accolades is also a recipient of the Times of India Fellowship, 1995, and the Charles Wallace Fellowship, 1999, and was the performance director of the Commonwealth Parade, for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations, at London, in June 2002. And last but not the least,the event includes guests from the media community, Mr. Hridayesh Joshi, a well-known reporter. Currently the Senior Editor, National Affairs at NDTV, he has covered national and political affairs, special interest in developmental issues, and has consistently covered the armed conflict between the Maoists and the Indian state. The event is all set to weave artistic tales for its audiences.

It is the belief of the institute that culture and literature among other things is as important to a management student as is learning hard skills of marketing, finance etc. IIM Udaipur is therefore one of the few institutes in the country that hosts a literature festival designed on the lines of the Jaipur litfest. Besides getting to rub shoulders with who’s who of the literary and art world, the event, which is completely conceptualized and executed by the student community, is a practical way of implementing several concepts learned in the classrooms related to organizing events and managing people.

For more information related to event head over facebook.com/TheUdaipurLeapDayLitFest or follow it on twitter @ULLF2016