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Asian Literary Society proudly hosted its 8th Asian Literary Confluence at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi
The Asian Literary Society proudly hosted its 8th Asian Literary Confluence with great enthusiasm and grandeur at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, on 22nd November 2025. The event was graced by distinguished chief guest Padma Vibhushan Dr. Karan Singh, former Union Minister of Education and Culture, along with eminent personalities Dr. Laxmi Shankar Bajpai, Deputy Director General, All India Radio Akashvani, Dr. Vinita Norula, former Vice-Principal of Lady Irwin College and acclaimed poet, and author-poet Mamta Kiren. Manoj Krishnan, author and founder of ALS, extended a warm welcome to the gathering and highlighted the remarkable achievements of the ALS community, while Anita Chand, Kiren Babal, and Vandana Bhasin spoke passionately about nurturing literary talent and fostering a vibrant community of writers.
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the much-awaited Annual Wordsmith Awards, Memorial Awards, ALSphere Awards, Art Contest, and Photography Contest winners by Manoj Krishnan. In the ALS Sagar Memorial Award 2025 for Children’s Books, Arti Sonthalia won first prize for the delightful Mehar’s World of Colours, Jyoti Prateek secured second place with Poby & Polly – The Essence of Friendship, and Barkha together with Shweta Varun Mehra shared third prize for Avadhut – A Book of Poems and Em’s Way respectively. The Children’s Poetry category saw Dr. Minal triumph with the tender Hindi poem मुन्नी के सपने, followed by Manisha Amol’s चंदा मामा and Ramya V’s It’s Our World. In Children’s Story, Narayani V Manapadam clinched the top spot with A Second Shot at Life, Neeti Parti won second for Damini and the AI Dragon, Manisha Amol third for दोस्ती, while Dr. Minal received a Certificate of Excellence for हेयरकट.
The ALS Deepti Srivastava Memorial Award 2025 for English Poetry was won by Dr. Anamika Nath for the moving When Peace Arrives, with Aparnaa Laxmi ‘Hina’ and Preethi Warrier taking second and third places for A Piece for Peace and An Eye for An Eye; Certificates of Excellence went to Indrani Chowdhury, Purna Padmaja, and Kalucharan Sahu. In the ALS Dr. Usha Sridhar Memorial Award 2025, Neeti Parti emerged victorious in English Poetry with Floating Whispers of a Child’s Dream, followed by Manpreet Chadha and Mousumee Baruah, while Chandra Sundeep won the English Story category with the evocative Brushstrokes on Silence, ahead of Preethi Warrier and Dr. Preeti Talwar.
The ALSphere Awards 2025 honoured powerful voices on women’s issues: Dr. Mallika Tripathi won the Short Story segment with Cry of a Mirror, Dr. Shweta Mathur Lall and Dr. Gitika Verma followed, while Dr. Gitika Verma also topped the Article category with the hard-hitting Veils of Silence – Women, Honour and Betrayal in 1947, with Neeti Parti and joint third-place winners Meenu Chopra and Ramya V. The Wordsmith Award 2025 saw Neeti Parti dominate multiple categories, winning Hindi Story with खामोशियाँ and taking prizes in Hindi Poetry, English Story, and more, alongside winners Swati Garg, Dr. Vedha Surendra, Diya Mittal (Junior category), and many distinguished others including Dr. Suboohi Jafar, Manpreet Chadha, Ramya V, Narayani V Manapadam, Zeyd N Ladha, Dr. Minal, Barkha, and Saurabh Dutt. The Photography Contest was won by Zeyd N Ladha for the striking Urban Kite, and the Art Contest by CA Pooja Kabra for the thought-provoking Woman’s Life in Four Cards.
Three new books by ALS community authors were launched amid resounding applause: Manoj Krishnan’s poignant Hindi poetry collection वो सिलवटें करार की थीं, a tender weaving of emotions, life’s unspoken mysteries, and soaring imagination that touches the deepest chords of the heart; the inspirational anthology बस इतना सा ख़्वाब है, edited by Manoj Krishnan and Zeba Hashmi, dedicated to differently-abled warriors who turned dreams into reality through perseverance and positivity; and Dr. Aditya Rattan’s gripping mythological fiction Moksha Divine Reversal, a breathtaking tale of Prince Jayant’s disappearance from Indraloka, Indra’s forbidden journey to Earth, and King Bali’s ambitions, blending ancient scripture with spiritual depth, karmic dilemmas, and a narrative that holds up a mirror to the soul.
Moderated gracefully by Manoj Krishnan, Vandana Bhasin, and Anita Chand, the evening concluded with the felicitation of all writers, a heartfelt vote of thanks, and thunderous appreciation from a global audience who joined online and in person, hailing the Asian Literary Society’s unwavering commitment to literature, diversity, and creative excellence.
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