Session of The Write Circle with Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri

Mrs. Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri was the guest author for Aizawl’s second chapter of ‘The Write Circle’ by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation. She has been an Indian Foreign Service diplomat for twenty-eight years and has served in leadership positions at the United Nations for fifteen years, most recently as its Assistant Secretary General. She was also a leader in the first global organization to promote gender equality, UN WOMEN, for seven foundational years. Among other accolades, she is also the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights. The event was centred around her debut novel, ‘Swallowing the Sun’.

Mrs. Puri delved into the themes of the book, prominently the matters of gender equality, the role of men in empowering women, the intricacies of freedom, and the different forms of love. She also shared with the audience her writing process and the many inspirations and influences for the book. The audience was particularly enamoured by the Marathi poems she recited, and many commented on how excited they were to read the poems in her book and even wanted to explore more Marathi poems on their own. The audience was inspired by her life, work, charm and wisdom.

The author was felicitated by Mizoram Chief Secretary, Dr. Renu Sharma. The guests enjoyed local delicacy, Chawngmawii dessert, and got Mrs. Puri’s debut book autographed by her. The Prabha Khaitan foundation aims to promote English literature by providing a platform for distinguished writers to engage in fruitful conversation and audience interaction, sharing insights into their lives and literary works. The event was held at Folkland Park, the venue partner for Aizawl and with the support of Emerald Hotel as their hospitality partner.