Shillong, September 29: The sixth edition of the Shillong Literary Festival will be held from November 12 to 14, 2026, at Ward’s Lake, bringing together writers, thinkers, artists and readers for three days of literature, dialogue, storytelling and performances. The festival is supported by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya.
Set against Shillong’s cherry blossom season, the festival will showcase Meghalaya’s storytelling traditions while bringing national and international literary voices to the state.
A major feature of this year’s edition is the launch of “FIRST BLOOM: Discovering New Writing from the Northeast,” an initiative aimed at identifying and encouraging emerging writers of fiction and narrative non-fiction from across the region. The initiative carries a total prize pool of ₹75,000, with ₹50,000 for the winner and ₹25,000 for the runner-up.
Ahead of the festival, two workshops on career prospects in literature will be held at the State Convention Centre, Shillong, on October 26. The morning session from 10.30 am to noon will feature Kanishka Gupta, while writers Mitra Phukan and Lalnunsanga Ralte will conduct the afternoon session from 3 pm to 5 pm. Each workshop will have 100 seats, with registration on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 2026 edition follows a prelude held earlier this year at Bikaner House in New Delhi, which featured actor Naseeruddin Shah, Pulitzer Prize winner Suparna Sharma and veteran journalist Shekhar Gupta.
The festival will also highlight the traditions, folklore and storytelling of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities alongside contemporary Indian and global narratives. Over the years, it has hosted writers including Banu Mushtaq, Vikram Seth, Shobhaa De, Shehan Karunatilaka and Francesc Miralles.
More than 13,000 visitors attended last year’s edition. This year’s festival will also feature live music performances by artists under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Program and food stalls showcasing local cuisine.
