On 22 August 2026, Bare Bones Publishing hosted its first literary salon, Stories That Shape Us, at Kunzum Books in New Delhi. Anchored by Shabana Chowdhury Ali, the salon brought together voices from across the Bare Bones catalogue. 

The event began with Meet the Storymakers, a panel discussion featuring authors Vinita Agrawal and Veena Naravane in conversation with Reeham Ahmed. The moderator, through a series of off-beat questions, gave us a glimpse of the panellists’ growing up years and how those experiences shaped them as people.

In Drawing Stories, artists and illustrators Anisha Kotibhaskar, Monika Saroch, and Maryam Ahmad discussed the relationship between words and pictures and the role that illustration plays in shaping how young readers experience a book. The panellists also spoke about the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence and how it affects their creativity.

In Stories Their Stories Tell, author Sonia Dogra was joined by teenage writers Mihika Prakash and Reeham Ahmed. The session explored how personal experiences can become the starting point for creative work and what it means for young writers to discover and develop their own voices.

Drawing on essays from My India, My Gods, The India We Serve investigated questions of belonging, identity, memory, and service with Indian Army veterans Captain Shakil Ahmed, Maj Gen (Dr) Yash Mor, and Garry Singh. The anthology is a collection of creative nonfiction conceived, curated, and edited by Sahana Ahmed, founder & CEO of Bare Bones Publishing. Contributing writers—Sudeept Shrivastav, Rahul Gaur, and Sonia Dogra—received gift hampers from General Manoj Mukund Naravane, former Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army.

The salon also took a moment to recognise The People Behind the Pages. Certificates of appreciation were presented to Sanjay Kumar, Rajkumar Yadav, Amit Singh, Virendra Singh Mahar, and Devendra Singh in recognition of their contribution and support. We invited Vimal Chawla, a seasoned corporate leader and trusted friend of Bare Bones, to do the honours.

Reflecting on the salon, eminent poet, critic, and academic Sukrita Paul Kumar said: “What a refreshing evening of listening to writers and illustrators, on how they work together on books for children! Educative as also inspirational. May there be more space for them to let their imagination fly, if only to make the world a better place to live in. Thanks to Bare Bones for making this happen.”