Author-philanthropist Sudha Murty to deliver 2019 Penguin Annual Lecture

Award-winning author and philanthropist Sudha Murty will deliver this year's Penguin Annual Lecture, publishers Penguin Random House India announced on Thursday.

Murthy, who will be speaking on "Storytelling and Social Change: How Literature Influences Who We Are and What We Do", will deliver the lecture at The Imperial here on December 11.

During the course of the lecture, Murty will bring two of her passions to the lecture storytelling and social work to showcase the deep-rooted connection between literary arts and philanthropy.

"Writing is a medium of my expression and experience. I have been blessed that my personal experiences have touched the hearts of readers.

"In my life's journey of literature and social work, I have unexpectedly found that reading has sparked an interest in some men, women and even children to begin to make a difference in a small way. To me, that is the real success of my work," the author said.

Widely known for her philanthropic efforts as the chairperson for Infosys Foundation, a public charitable trust founded in 1996, Murty will share her views on storytelling as a catalyst to bring about change in the way we think and thereby transform society.

Taking cues from her written work and life experiences, she will also talk about how literature transcends borders and languages and has the power to initiate conversations to bring about social revolutions.

A much loved storyteller, Murty has carved a special place in the Indian literary landscape and in the heart of Indian readers. She writes both in English and Kannada, and has penned novels, technical books, travelogues, collections of short stories and non-fiction pieces, and nine bestselling books for children.

The award-winning writer have also been translated into all major Indian languages.

As a philanthropist, her work has largely focussed on healthcare, education, public hygiene, empowerment of women and much more. She has dedicated her time to impress upon the importance of reading and her efforts have led to the setting up of more than 60,000 libraries across Karnataka.

"Murty's stories have enchanted, entertained and educated readers for nearly two decades and we are fortunate to have published so many of her books.

"Her philanthropic contributions and her body of work have made a significant impact on society and I am glad that she chose The Penguin Annual Lecture to talk about bringing social change through storytelling," Niti Kumar, SVP marketing, digital and communications, Penguin Random House India, said.

Luminaries who have delivered the Penguin Annual Lecture since its inception in 2007 include journalist and writer Thomas Friedman, diplomat and writer Chris Patten, Nobel Prize winning economist Amartya Sen, eminent historian Ramachandra Guha, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, scientist and former Indian president A P J Abdul Kalam, cinema superstar Amitabh Bachchan, bestselling author Dan Brown, legendary writer Ruskin Bond, author of the popular Wimpy Kid series Jeff Kinney, UNICEF Ambassador and internationally acclaimed superstar Priyanka Chopra, and historian, philosopher and bestselling author Professor Yuval Noah Harari.