Priyanka Chopra to deliver 'inspirational' Penguin lecture in New Delhi

Quantico star and UNICEF goodwill ambassador Priyanka Chopra will deliver an inspirational talk on 'breaking the glass ceiling, chasing a dream' as part of The Penguin Annual Lecture series in New Delhi on 26 December.

The publishing house, Penguin Random House India, has invited the actress, who has risen on the global stage with her American TV show Quantico, for this year's lecture.

"Priyanka Chopra is an icon for today's young Indians who identify with her drive, passion, intelligence and charisma," read a statement issued by the publishing house. "She has been a social media trendsetter and has a massive fan base across the globe. Much loved and admired as an artiste by people in India and around the world, she is also recognized as a global Indian — a woman who has broken the glass ceiling to reach the highest echelons of international stardom — and for her philanthropic work as UNICEF's global goodwill ambassador."

The lecture series was started in 2007 as an initiative to bring leading writers, artists, thinkers and key personalities from India and across the world in direct contact with audiences and admirers in India.

This will be its eleventh edition. Over the past 10 years, speakers at the event have included thought leaders like the Dalai Lama, former president APJ Abdul Kalam, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman, Hindi film veteran Amitabh Bachchan, historian Ramachandra Guha, and authors like Dan Brown, Jeff Kinney and Ruskin Bond.