6th Shillong Literary Festival Set to Open Amid Cherry Blossoms at Ward’s Lake

2026-09-29 02:50:17 Events / Trade Shows

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Mumbai / Shillong, September 29, 2026: The 6th Shillong Literary Festival is set to return from November 12 to 14, 2026, bringing together writers, thinkers, artists and readers for three days of books, ideas, dialogue, storytelling and performances at Ward’s Lake, Shillong. Supported by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the festival has grown into a significant cultural platform, bringing national and international literary voices to the State while showcasing Meghalaya’s rich storytelling traditions and creative ecosystem.

Set against the Shillong’s cherry blossoms, the three-day festival will once again transform the city into what has often been described as the ‘Kyoto of the West’, offering visitors a distinctive combination of literature, culture and the natural beauty of Meghalaya.

Ahead of Edition VI, the festival has introduced “FIRST BLOOM: Discovering New Writing from the Northeast,” an initiative aimed at identifying and encouraging emerging fiction and narrative non-fiction writers from across the region. The initiative will offer a total prize pool of ₹75,000, with ₹50,000 for the winner and ₹25,000 for the runner-up, creating a platform for new literary voices from the Northeast to reach wider audiences.

As part of its pre-festival programming, the Shillong Literary Festival will also host two exclusive workshops on career prospects in literature on October 26, 2026, at the State Convention Centre, Shillong. The morning session, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM, will feature Kanishka Gupta, while the afternoon session, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, will feature writers Mitra Phukan and Lalnunsanga Ralte. With 100 seats available for each workshop, registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 2026 edition follows a successful prelude held earlier this year at Bikaner House in New Delhi, which featured prominent voices including veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner Suparna Sharma and veteran journalist Shekhar Gupta. The prelude expanded the festival’s cultural footprint beyond Meghalaya and strengthened its engagement with the wider literary, media and creative community.

This year’s festival will once again serve as a confluence of intercultural exchange, bringing together the rich traditions, folklore and storytelling of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities with contemporary Indian and global narratives. The programme will create spaces for conversations between regional thinkers, writers and international literary figures, while exploring the evolving relationship between literature, culture and society.

Over the years, the Shillong Literary Festival has hosted several eminent authors, including Banu Mushtaq, Vikram Seth, Shobhaa De, Shehan Karunatilaka and Francesc Miralles, among many others. Author Shobhaa De has described the festival as the “prettiest lit fest ever,” reflecting its distinctive setting and intimate connection with Shillong’s cultural and natural landscape.

Building on the more than 13,000 visitors recorded at last year’s edition, the upcoming festival will also feature cultural and culinary experience alongside its literary programming. Live music performances by artists from the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Program (CM-MGMP) will be held every evening, while food stalls showcasing local culinary talent will offer visitors an opportunity to experience Meghalaya’s diverse food culture.

The festival also contributes to Meghalaya’s wider efforts to strengthen its creative economy and cultural tourism, creating opportunities for writers, artists, performers, local entrepreneurs and audiences to engage through a shared platform.