Author Sunita Lad Bhamray Returns to Alma Mater at Pune Book Festival 2025*

*Author Sunita Lad Bhamray Returns to Alma Mater at Pune Book Festival 2025*

Pune:

There are moments in a writer’s journey when memory, place, and purpose come together meaningfully. Such a moment was witnessed at the Pune Book Festival 2025 when Singapore-based author Sunita Lad Bhamray returned to Ferguson College, her alma mater, as an author.

Walking through the historic campus, Sunita revisited the spaces that shaped her early intellectual life. The familiar avenues, classrooms, and courtyards evoked memories of her student years, now transformed into a vibrant setting for literary exchange. Sharing her emotions, Sunita said that Ferguson College played a significant role in nurturing her thinking and expression, and returning with her own published work was a deeply personal experience.

At the festival, Sunita interacted with students, educators, and book enthusiasts, discussing her award-winning children’s novel Kalee and the Mysterious Twins: Keepers of the Big Secret, published by Embassy Books. The book has received prestigious honours including the Sahitya Sparsh Award and the Pen and Paper Award, and attracted considerable attention for its imaginative storytelling, strong young female protagonist, and themes of environmental responsibility and courage.

One of the highlights of her participation was her interaction with young readers. Through engaging conversations and book-signing sessions, she encouraged children to trust their imagination, ask questions, and develop a sense of responsibility towards the world around them. These exchanges, she noted, reinforced her belief in children’s literature as a powerful medium to plant meaningful ideas at an early age.

The Pune Book Festival 2025 was marked by thoughtful curation, efficient organisation, and the presence of eminent authors and literary voices from across the country. The festival provided an intimate yet energetic platform for dialogue and exchange among writers and readers.

For Sunita Lad Bhamray, the festival was more than a literary gathering—it was a homecoming that celebrated storytelling and highlighted the enduring power of books to connect generations.