Bangalore love saga continues. This time it’s a 21 y.o. who is reframing my city through her lenses. Sharanya Iyer helps the city morph with time and age. She stands at the gates of Bangalore’s Under 25 lit fest. She is its curator. And sadly, I will be denied entry.

It’s not that bad. She offers consolation. We just had to find a number to categorize. So, 25!

Keeping my misery of age and access aside, I continue chatting with this young woman about her love for books, computers, conferences, feminism and all things Under 25. Confession: it wasn’t until she mentioned studying engineering did I realize I was talking to someone her age. What! With her interests and involvements in so many quarters, this girl is out to redefine the phrase “do it like a girl.”

IWB: What is Under 25 lit fest all about?

Sharanya: So, I am not associated with . That’s a media and entertainment company that creates experiences for the youth and the young. They approached me to be a part of this lovely literature event they were organizing and help them curate it.

The culture of reading in the cities has dropped. TV series have taken over. And the future will be worse. Initiatives like this one are absolutely necessary to instill back into the younger lot the joy of reading. We had to turn the act of reading into something cool, something that could be linked to young people. So cometh the Under 25 lit fest! We got the most amazing inspiring writers on board to come and speak to the young brigade directly. The turnout was remarkable. The literature festival wasn’t just about reading, books, libraries; we had bands, gigs and other forms of entertainment for the audience to feel like a part of something huge and ‘cool.’

IWB: If the coolness factor gets you off the couch to libraries, then bravo! But I am 27 and not that over 25. Why am I not a part of this? I feel absolutely left out. Why this age limit?

Sharanya: giggling… It’s just a number that we had to pick to categorize. 25 represents the sect that is just graduating or is starting out on an adventure of their own. They are the change. 30 seemed too wide a number. So we stuck with 25.

IWB: Your answers are no solace. Anyhow, how do you define youth?

Sharanya: We are the future, and it’s true. We are the power bank of this nation, the future citizens with who lays the power to create, build, and change.

Simply put, we are the threshold of revolutions in the nation.

IWB: Bangalore is buzzing with activities for the younger lots. How about making things accessible for the older generation?

Sharanya: The city caters to the youth. That’s a fact. But the literature fests that are organized all across, and I have been a part of quite a few, are clichéd. They basically are for the gray heads. I am sorry, but it is true. The stereotype needed to be broken. The young have the luxury of time. As we age, we get tied up in commitments and other routines.

It is a lot easier for someone to convince me to get out and be a part of something interesting and new happening in the city than my mom, for example. We are simply easier to motivate.

IWB: I think I understand what Under 25 wanted to do. But why not be a part of the existing fests? They aren’t that bad. Why a separate lit fest?

Sharanya: The lit fests are for the niche crowd. All you will see are the older folks. I have been a part of Bangalore literature fest and attended other festivals outside as well. The panel discussions, the topics covered, the writers invited don’t interest us. We needed a space to talk and read and listen to about subjects that affect us now. Under 25 did that. We covered the wide variety of topics at the LitFest – mythology, business, romance, politics, history and journalism. The youngsters love to read and discuss what’s current. We wanted to make sure that the content of these talks caught their attention.

IWB: Living in a city like Bangalore must make life more accessible to the world. How does a city factor in while organizing such events?

Sharanya: To live in a city like Bangalore is a gift. Space is bustling with activities. And people here are enthusiasts.

To start anything takes initiation and effort. Something like this can also find its roots in Jaipur which is the home ground for literature and related fests. Start off with a small group. People always pour in. Why do we not remember that little drops of water make up the ocean?

IWB: What do you think Under 25 lit fest is mobilizing? What happens at a fest like this?

Sharanya: Under 25 had a great response. The trend of stories and storytelling is becoming more casual. Average literature is going on to become the bestseller! Something is changing for us readers, and this could be a turning point for Indian readership.

What Under 25 lit fest did was to get college kids motivated to start reading again. All sorts of voices came in under a single banner. Never has a literature fest embraced such diversity of events and interests of the younger lot. The culture and norms of lit fests have been torn down. The change is huge.

IWB: Who is Sharanya Iyer in person?

Sharanya: I am the biggest bibliophile there is. I am into reading, freelance writing, an engineer. I have been a part of Bangalore Literature Fest, and the experience helped me in the process of curating. The action of converging people to a single room to have a collective experience in shared interest was so enriching.

IWB: Engineering to curating?

Sharanya: Oh I am a regular at all the book clubs and anything books. My love for books and literature got me this job of curation. The Under 25 organizes summits. They hadn’t done lit before. That’s where I came in.

IWB: What has been the best thing to come of this event? For you and the youth.

Sharanya: We had pop-up libraries where kids lined up to get hold of a copy and sit down and read. That is powerful. It was so heartening to see Under 25 succeeding in finding more readers.

For me personally, I have curated TEDx events before. But this experience was unlike anything. It wasn’t work, I enjoyed every minute of it. To be in close vicinity of authors and writers that you love, admire and read was extremely worth it.

IWB: Your favourite authors from the sessions?

Sharanya: Oh so many. Gosh! This is a difficult question.

But I love Shinie Anthony, Manu Pillai and Vikram Sampath, the historian. Being a history buff, his session just was my thing.

IWB: Women are leading spaces and initiatives across the world today. Did you have it easy?

Sharanya: Talking about women, I am also a part of the Grace Hopper Conference which celebrates women in computing. It is the only women conference in India that is related to all things technology and computing. To be a part of this symposium is something huge. This conclave is for women. And that is making a statement.

I was also one of the 20 women invited from all across the globe to be a part of TEDx conference organized in San Francisco. That journey was incredibly eye opening.

Being part of these things, listening to women from all sectors of life is teaching me a lot. As women, we take on a larger responsibility in households. The challenge is to be able to step out. We have come a long way from the past, no doubt. But we have a greater distance to cover. There isn’t any profession that is untouched by women. And that is something to celebrate.

IWB: How important are your parents’ role in what you are doing?

Sharanya: Times and outlooks are changing. There was this one incident that I will recount for you. The hackathon events that happened earlier had limited participation from girls. These events went on through the night. I remember most of my girlfriends stayed away because they weren’t granted permission from home.

Today we have all women dedicated hackathons. So we are progressing, I hope. Parents are evolving with us.

I have been very fortunate personally. My parents have supported me at every step. Certainly, a male child enjoys more freedom and advantage over a girl child. But to all parents I’d like to say, there is still hope for change. Don’t smother your child under your concerns and worries. Let them free. Encourage them to take equal responsibility.

IWB: Parents don’t raise their children with marriage as the end goal for girls anymore. Is that correct? You are exposed to multitude dimensions today. As an aspiring entrepreneur, you wouldn’t want to take a step back after marriage. How does this come into effect?

Sharanya: I agree with what you are saying. The world expects us to slow down after marriage. Listen to Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook talk about women leaders. A girl child who puts her foot down will be called bossy. You have no such term for a boy child there. Conditioning from such a tender age. We are taught to be meek, submissive and giving. But we are here to lead. There are companies that refuse to take in women employees who are going to get married.

On the other hand, to be fair, there are women who are amazing housewives and mothers and also running massive enterprises.

I co-chair the Indian chapter of XX+UX. It is a global platform for women to talk user experience and design. XX for our chromosome and UX for user experience! So, there are opportunities that are coming up. Women are in the forefront.

IWB: You are one busy girl. Look at your profile! Coming back to Under 25 though, how does an event like this reach the rural lives?

Sharanya: The concerns we just voiced out regarding women are most magnified in the rural lands. The girl drop out from education number is shockingly huge. We need to train our girls. I am sorry, but the huge feminist in me is biased, and we need to focus more on the girls than the boys. Help your girl child progress. It is a huge necessity today.

As for Under 25, it is basically a content company that is a platform to voice; bring forth path-breaking inspirational events. So why not! In the future, we might have people brought in from the villages to be a part of this movement.

IWB: Before I let you go back to finding more forums you wish to be a part of, tell me – Feminism?

Sharanya:  In one of the hackathon events, I was questioned by a boy – Girl and technology? Your interests are invalidated based on your gender. That is simply outdated.

I am absolutely a 100% feminist. To see someone being rejected based on gender is infuriating. Women have equal rights to participate in any field of choice, be a part of any journey they wish to experience.

The youth brigade is on fire.

Sharanya Iyer is a student of computer engineering in MRSIT, Bangalore. She is a complete bibliophile and in love with all things literature. To know more about her absolutely filled to the brim life planner, connect with her maybe? Write to her at