Kolkata, December 8, 2025: The 17th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) was unveiled today at Oxford Bookstore, setting the stage for a dynamic and intellectually charged 2026 edition. With immersive programming, global literary voices, and prestigious commemorations, AKLF reaffirms its position as one of Kolkata’s most anticipated cultural celebrations.
The festival will be hosted at the historic Alipore Museum from January 9 to 11, 2026, bringing together leading authors, thinkers, performers and changemakers from India and abroad. The curtain-raiser featured a gripping session titled “The Thrill of the Legend” with bestselling author Amish Tripathi in conversation with Priyadarshinee Guha, marking a compelling preview of the discussions ahead.
A Grand Line-Up of Literary Luminaries
AKLF 2026 promises a stellar ensemble of celebrated personalities including Aparna Sen, Shobhaa De, Swastika Mukherjee, Usha Uthup, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Anand Neelakantan, Jeet Thayil, Bachi Karkaria, Pavan K. Varma, Durjoy Datta, Luke Coutinho, Arunava Sinha and many others.
The festival will feature sessions on a wide array of contemporary themes — mythology, crime, romance, wellness, food culture, politics, cinema and the supernatural — with special focus areas of gender, history, translations and wellness.
Key Highlights
• Exclusive Kolkata launch of Dr. Shashi Tharoor’s new book The Sage Who Reimagined Hinduism
• The 11th Apeejay Jit Paul Memorial Lecture to be delivered by Pavan K. Varma
• 100th birth anniversary tributes to Mahasweta Devi, Raj Khosla and Ingeborg Bachmann
• Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize shortlist announcement
• Engaging sessions like Aparna Sen Unplugged, Crime and Punishment: Tales of the Dark Side and Tok Jhaal Mishti: What Sets Bengal’s Cuisine Apart
Programmes will be spread across Alipore Museum, Oxford Bookstore and The Park, Kolkata, integrating the city’s cultural heritage with dynamic discourse.
Spotlight on Young Readers & Poetry
The Oxford Junior Literary Festival (OJLF) will spark imagination among children through author interactions, storytelling and creative workshops.
Meanwhile, a vibrant Poetry Café will provide a platform for poets — budding and acclaimed — to share their voices in an intimate artistic space.
Voices from the Festival
Priti Paul, Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group, emphasised AKLF’s evolving cultural legacy:
“AKLF has become a living testament to Kolkata’s cultural heartbeat — a meeting ground where diverse voices ignite new ideas in a space that blends heritage with contemporary thought.”
Festival Director Anjum Katyal highlighted this year’s strong thematic focus:
“The 2026 edition focuses on issues at the forefront of public imagination — from gender and wellness to history and translation — while keeping books and readers at the heart of the experience.”
Strong Partnerships
The festival is supported by prestigious partners including The Park Kolkata, Café Coutume, Cha Bar, Flurys, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, Alliance Française du Bengale, Glenburn Penthouse, alongside leading national and international publishers.
