Team GLFTeam GLF

Founders

SHYAM PAREKH – Festival Director

Editor and Educator

A former resident editor of DNA Ahmedabad for over a decade, he has been a life-long student of literature and an acclaimed journalist with experience spanning over 25 years. Apart from being the founding editor of his paper, he played a significant role in the launch of several newspapers and their editions. Shyam had nurtured a secret dream of building a literature festival in Gujarat for years, which materialised in 2013 when GLF was planned.

SAMKIT SHAH – Festival Producer

Serial Entrepreneur

Samkit is a first-generation entrepreneur who draws from his depths of eternal curiosity to bring a refreshing outlook to GLF. He earns his bread and butter by manufacturing highly customised engineering products for the European markets and oversees a translation business in dozens of global languages. When urban life gets difficult he goes on stage as a stand-up comedian for some retribution. An ardent traveller and effervescent optimist, Samkit is the Festival Producer of GLF who achieved the impossible – made the two ends meet to put up one after the other editions of the Festival.

JUMANA SHAH – Programming Director

Editor and Journalism Educator

Jumana is a career journalist. She is a former editor who has worked with print, TV and digital mediums in DNA, Times of India and India Today. She has written profusely about politics and environment-wildlife. Her body of work includes political analysis, a column reflecting on social issues in DNA and elections reportage since 2005. She is a Martial Arts exponent, fond of travelling and an adventure sports junkie. She is a certified scuba diver and a keyboard evangelist for saving the marine environment.

Mentors

ANJUM RAJABALI – Mentor

Screenwriter and teacher

He is a veteran Indian screenwriter and teacher for many well established screenwriters across multiple languages in India. He has written films like Drohkaal (1994), Ghulam (1998), The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) and Raajneeti (2010). He is also known for his leadership and lobbying for the rights of Indian screenwriters, as a senior activist of the Screenwriters Association, India.

RAJENDRA PATEL – Mentor

Poet, writer and literary activist

He is the founder of “Pustak Parab” the world’s largest free book distribution network and a promoter of the “Vanche Gujarat” movement, which got the government to promote literature and reading. Rajendrabhai is associated with several literary institutions in the state and is an acclaimed prolific writer. Soft-spoken, Rajendrabhai runs a Gandhian-model pharmacy business and has guided the GLF as its Chief Mentor.