Literary festivals in Northeast India announce 2026 lineups

The Shillong Literary Festival 2026 has announced Booker Prize winners Kiran Desai and Damon Galgut as headliners for its sixth edition. The event is scheduled to take place from November 12 to 14 at Ward’s Lake.

In addition to international narratives, the festival will highlight the storytelling traditions of the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo communities. An open call for emerging writers from the Northeast, titled ‘First Bloom’, is currently accepting entries until October 20.

Meanwhile, the Guwahati Literature Festival (GLF) 2026 is set for October 10 at The Belasian. Due to recent flooding in Assam, organizers have opted for a more intimate gathering, including a session focused on long-term rehabilitation in the Sivasagar and Charaideo districts.

The GLF will feature several awards, including the Dhrupadi Asomiya Bhasha Award being presented to Rongbong Terang, and the GLF Dadhichi Award, which will be awarded collectively to Assam’s teaching community.