Diplomats Turn Authors at New Delhi’s First Literature Fest for Foreign Service

A three‑day literature festival for diplomats, ‘Words Beyond Borders’, will run in Neemrana from Oct 25‑27. Ambassadors and senior envoys from Ukraine, Turkiye, the United States, Italy, France and Germany are slated to attend, each of whom must have a published book. More than 80 speakers representing 30 nations have confirmed participation. The programme will host over 65 foreign diplomats together with about 20 Indian foreign‑service officers, many retired, all backed by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Rajasthan government. The festival is the idea of Dnyaneshwar Mulay, a 1983‑batch foreign service officer known for revamping India’s passport system while serving as MEA secretary; he has previously served in New York, the Maldives and Russia and has authored a dozen books in Hindi and Marathi. Mulay says he wants to close the gap between the public and foreign‑policy work, noting that his own village mother knew little of his diplomatic duties. The event will bring university students from across India to interact with diplomats in informal sessions. Topics will include India’s ties with ASEAN and East Asia, Europe’s crossroads, and the relevance of non‑alignment for the Global South. Ambassador Navdeep Suri will chair a talk titled ‘Foreigner in Translation’ with Mongolia’s Gonchig Ganbold and Egypt’s Mohamed Tawfik. A panel led by Sreeram Chaulia will examine India‑Pakistan relations, joined by former TCA Raghavan, Ruchi Ghanashyam and Ajay Bisaria. ## Context The festival blends literary culture with diplomacy, a rare effort to let diplomats share personal narratives while exposing young Indians to global perspectives.