Photo/Mustafa QuraishiThe fourth edition of Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest today announced the name of its esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award. The festival will present the Landmark Literature Live!Lifetime Achievement Award to Indian novelist Khushwant Singh.

A significant post-colonial writer in the English language, Khushwant Singh is known for his clear-cut secularism, wit and a deep passion for poetry. A   well-known writer-journalist-editor of long standing, he has also been a member of the Rajya Sabha. He is the author of classics such as Train to Pakistan, I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale and Delhi.

He was honored with the Padma Bhushan award in the year 1974 for service to his country, but he returned the award in protest against the siege of the Golden Temple by the Indian Army in 1984. Undeterred, the Indian government awarded Singh an even more prestigious honor, the Padma Vibhushan in the year 2007. Among the other awards he has received are the Punjab Ratan, the Sulabh International award for the most honest Indian of the year, and honorary doctorates from several universities.

The Tata group and Literature Live! recently announced the 2013 edition of Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest. Over 120 writers and thinkers from all over the world are expected to participate in the fourth edition of Mumbai’s premier literary festival. 

The festival will run from November 14 to November 17, 2013 at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai. The festival will be free and on a first-come, first-served basis. More details about entry are available on: