4. Kerala Literature Festival - 9th Edition | English
The ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival, held from January 22-25 on the beaches of
Kozhikode,
reaffirmed its stature as Asia’s largest literary gathering and one of the world’s
most dynamic cultural forums. Drawing over 700,000 attendees and featuring 500+ speakers
across 350 sessions, the festival transformed the city’s iconic seafront into a vibrant public
platform for ideas spanning literature, history, science, politics, cinema, philosophy, and the
arts. Inaugurated by astronaut Sunita Williams and Kerala Tourism Minister Mohammed
Riyas, in the presence of actor Bhavana, and with Germany as Guest Nation, the edition stood
out for its international breadth, brilliant curation, and strong cultural collaborations.
A defining highlight was the historic participation of Sunita Williams, whose widely attended
sessions on life in space, resilience, and unity deeply inspired audiences, particularly
students. The festival also featured major intellectual voices such as Shashi Tharoor, who
reflected on the Indian Constitution and the legacy of Sree Narayana Guru, alongside global
figures including Abdulrazak Gurnah, Pico Iyer, Abhijit Banerjee, Pratibha Ray, Shobha De,
Kiran Desai, Satoshi Yagisawa, Ben Johnson, Jimmy Wales and many more. Salman Rushdie
and Romila Thapar joined for an online session. With an estimated ₹130 crore generated in
local economic activity and a carefully balanced programme of English and Indian vernacular
sessions, KLF 2026 strengthened Kozhikode’s global cultural identity and reinforced its
recognition as India’s first UNESCO City of Literature.
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