The Shillong Literary Festival 2026 – New Delhi Prelude opened at Bikaner House with participation from leading voices across literature, governance, cinema, journalism, and the creative arts. Organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the two-day prelude serves as a lead-up to the main Shillong Literary Festival scheduled to take place in Shillong from November 12 to 14, 2026.
The initiative aims to highlight Meghalaya’s literary and cultural heritage while strengthening the state’s position as a growing hub for arts, literature, music, and culture-led tourism.
A major highlight of the opening day was a conversation between Conrad K. Sangma and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta. Their discussion revolved around governance, youth aspirations, culture, and the evolving identity of the Northeast. During the session, Shekhar Gupta praised the Shillong Literary Festival, noting that while he had attended many literary festivals, the atmosphere and audience experience at SLF remained unmatched.
Speaking about the vision behind the initiative, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said, “We started off small. Now we are seeing it grow. It has become a calendar event; and more importantly it is known throughout the country. And we thought that bringing it to Delhi- this prelude, would expose this entire event and would be able to reach out to the other parts of the country.” He further added, “We hope that in the years to come, it will become a much-much bigger event, not just nationally, but even globally.”
The Chief Minister also highlighted Meghalaya’s focus on the creative economy, sustainable tourism, entrepreneurship, and education-driven growth.
Delivering the welcome address, Dr. Vijay Kumar D. spoke about the festival’s journey as a platform celebrating the stories, literature, cinema, and cultural identity of Meghalaya and the Northeast. Referring to Shillong’s cultural appeal, he remarked that as the city turns pink during the cherry blossom season, its identity transforms from the “Scotland of the East” to the “Kyoto of the West,” a phrase coined by author Vikram Seth during his 2024 visit to the festival.
The opening day also featured conversations around the cinematic landscape of the Northeast, with filmmakers Dominic Sangma and Pradip Kurbah in discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Suparna Sharma. The speakers highlighted the role of ‘Hello Meghalaya’ as an OTT platform supporting independent filmmakers and regional cinema.
The evening concluded with a special reading session by legendary actor Naseeruddin Shah titled The Elephant and the Tragopan, featuring readings from Vikram Seth’s Beastly Tales from Here and There alongside works by James Thurber. Shah drew parallels between nature, storytelling, and human behaviour through the selected readings.
Another notable session titled “Readings from Khasi and Garo Classics” featured Prof. Streamlet Dkhar and Dr. Crystal Cornelious D. Marak, who explored the linguistic and ancestral heritage of the region through classic literary works and oral traditions.
The second day of the festival is set to feature discussions around Northeast literature, ecology, food, translation, and identity, with speakers including Shobhaa De, Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, Sanjoy Hazarika, Namita Gokhale, and Patricia Mukhim.
The evening concluded with live performances by artists under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Program, celebrating Meghalaya’s music and cultural identity.
