Shillong, November 11: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma will inaugurate the sixth edition of the Shillong Literary Festival at Ward’s Lake on Thursday, November 12, bringing together renowned authors, poets, filmmakers and literary enthusiasts from Meghalaya, across India and abroad for three days of literary discussions, storytelling and cultural activities.
According to a press release issued by the Tourism Department, Government of Meghalaya, the festival will feature Booker Prize-winning authors Kiran Desai and Damon Galgut, alongside prominent literary personalities and writers from the state and beyond.
The inaugural programme will be attended by Commissioner and Secretary of the Tourism Department Dr. Vijay Kumar D., IAS, Padma Shri awardee Hally War, and other distinguished guests.
The opening ceremony will also witness the launch of books by Daniel Challam, Rudy Warjri, Sanjoy Hazarika, Yadawanka Pala, Streamlet Dkhar and Bijoya Sawian.
The Shillong Literary Festival, which began in 2021, has developed into a platform connecting the storytelling traditions of the Khasi, Jaiñtia and Garo communities with contemporary literature and global literary perspectives.
Over its previous five editions, the festival has hosted more than 293 speakers, bringing together established authors, emerging writers, academics and cultural personalities.
The three-day event will feature literary discussions, book launches, storytelling sessions and interactions with writers, providing opportunities for participants to explore literature, culture and creative expression.
A major attraction of this year’s festival will be the dedicated Children’s and Youth Corner, designed to encourage younger participants to engage with literature, storytelling and creative activities.
The corner will offer a range of activities, including storytelling, puppetry, pottery, origami, zine-making, traditional music, creative writing, face painting and open mic sessions.
A Doodle Arena will also be organised, providing children and young people with opportunities to explore their artistic talents.
The Children’s and Youth Corner will feature its own stage hosting puppet shows, music jams, live band performances and book launches.
In addition to the literary sessions, the festival will feature live cultural performances and local food entrepreneurs, adding to the atmosphere of the lakeside event.
Ahead of the official inauguration, a special programme titled The Farewell Letter, a dramatised English reading of Rabindranath Tagore’s celebrated novel Shesher Kobita, is scheduled to be presented on Wednesday, November 11.
The performance will be led by storytellers Poulami Chattopadhyay and Sujoy Prasad Chatterjee under the direction of Sohag Sen.
The presentation holds particular significance for Shillong, as Tagore visited and stayed in the city in 1919, 1923 and 1927.
The pine-covered hills of Shillong serve as the setting of Shesher Kobita, which tells the love story of Amit and Labanya.
The special reading is expected to highlight the city’s literary connection with the Nobel laureate and celebrate Shillong’s place in Indian literary history.
The Tourism Department stated that the festival remains rooted in Meghalaya’s indigenous storytelling heritage while providing a platform for literary exchange with writers and thinkers from different parts of the world.
The department has invited students, young people, travellers and literary enthusiasts to participate in the three-day celebration of books, ideas, creativity and cultural expression at Ward’s Lake.
The sixth Shillong Literary Festival will run from November 12 to 14, 2026, with a series of literary and cultural programmes intended to promote reading, encourage emerging writers and celebrate Meghalaya’s literary and cultural heritage.
