Cost: Weekend passes $40 ($20 for students) until May 1; prices rise to $45/$20 May 2-June 1, and $50/$25 June 2-10. Admission is free for Roosevelt University and UIC students, faculty and staff, but registration is required

Organizer: DesiLit, in coordination with the MFA program at Roosevelt University and the Asian American Resource and Cultural Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago

What to expect: The four-day festival celebrating South Asian and diaspora literature and arts will include participant panels, author readings, writing workshops, publishing and marketing seminars, live performances and question and answer sessions with literary agents and editors. It takes place at two locations, Roosevelt University (430 S. Michigan, Thursday-Friday) and UIC's University Hall (750 S. Morgan, Saturday-Sunday).

Why to go: Special guests include award-winning winning authors Romesh Gunesekera (Reef, Monkfish Moon, The Match), Amitava Kumar (Husband of a Fanatic, A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb), and Bapsi Sidhwa (Cracking India, Water, The Crow-Eaters).

See the website for the full schedule and panelist bios.