The ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) 2026 will be held from January 22 to 25 at the Kozhikode beachfront where a bevy of philosophers, activists, filmmakers, Nobel Laureates, Booker Prize winners, writers, historians, and scientists will transcend.
The festival will be held in Kozhikode — India’s first UNESCO City of Literature. It will feature over 400 speakers and 250 sessions spread across seven parallel tracks, with 10 sessions per track each day, over 6 lakh visitors, followed by evening performances and musical events on the beach.
Germany has been announced as the Guest Nation for KLF 2026, bringing with it a programme of diverse literary, artistic, and cultural expressions.
“Platforms like KLF are crucial in strengthening cross-cultural understanding and reaffirming literature’s vital role in uniting diverse global voices. It is more than a festival, it is a celebration of literature’s democratic spirit. In an age where divisiveness threatens to splinter our world, such cultural collaborations are also acts of quiet resistance,” Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said at the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Philipp Ackermann, German Ambassador to India, said, “The Kerala Literature Festival stands as a remarkable meeting point for cultures, ideas, and artistic expression. As the Guest Nation for KLF 2026, Germany is honoured to participate in a celebration that brings together some of the world’s most influential literary voices. We look forward to presenting the depth of German literature, thought, and creativity, and to engaging with the vibrant literary community of Kerala.”
The German participation will include a dedicated pavilion, literary showcases, workshops, and a series of cultural events curated in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut and partner institutions. In addition, a special light installation will illuminate the Kozhikode beachfront during the festival, symbolising the spirit of artistic exchange and the shared values that define Kerala Literature Festival.
Some of the notable attendees at KLF 2026 include Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah, Olga Tokarczuk, and Abhijit Banerjee; Olympian Ben Johnson, business leader Indra Nooyi, artist and illustrator Cheyenne Olivier, writer Gabriela Ybarra, economist Arvind Subramanian, linguist and author Peggy Mohan, author and columnist Shobhaa De, writer and former diplomat Amish Tripathi, actor and singer Piyush Mishra.
Writer and activist Banu Mushtaq, celebrated essayist Pico Iyer, renowned environmental activist Dr. Vandana Shiva, Jnanpith award-winning writer Pratibha Ray, eminent historian Romila Thapar, and acclaimed novelist Anita Nair will also be in attendance.
Talking to The Statesman, Ravi Deecee, Chief Facilitator, Kerala Literature Festival, said, “We started KLF in 2016, and since then, it has grown in leaps and bounds. Kerala has always had an active library culture which we later took to a common forum, like in an informal set-up along the Kozhikode beach. But we got an immense response, and over the years, we have grown and now we are inviting foreign countries. Last year, we had more than 16,000 participants and a footfall of 6,00,000 people.
“At KLF, unlike other literature festivals, the focus is not just on authors and their books. It is more about brainstorming and talking about diverse topics, be it artificial intelligence, LGBTQ rights, feminism, minorities in the US or India. Kozhikode beach setting also makes KLF different from other festivals. Having said, I believe reading has taken a new dimension due to these literature festivals,” he added.