SHILLONG, Sep 29: The sixth edition of the Shillong Literary Festival will be held from November 12 to 14 at Ward’s Lake, bringing together writers, thinkers, artists and readers for three days of literary discussions, storytelling, performances and cultural programmes.
The festival has emerged as a major literary platform in Meghalaya, featuring national and international voices while highlighting the state’s rich storytelling traditions. The event will coincide with Shillong’s cherry blossom season, adding to the city’s distinctive cultural and visual appeal.
Ahead of Edition VI, the organisers have launched “FIRST BLOOM: Discovering New Writing from the Northeast”, a new initiative aimed at encouraging emerging fiction and narrative non-fiction writers from the region.
The initiative carries a ₹75,000 prize pool, with ₹50,000 for the winner and ₹25,000 for the runner-up.
As part of the pre-festival programme, two workshops on career opportunities in literature will be held on October 26 at the State Convention Centre. The sessions will feature writer and literary agent Kanishka Gupta, author Mitra Phukan and writer Lalnunsanga Ralte.
The organisers said the festival is building on the response to last year’s edition, which drew around 13,000 visitors.
This year’s festival will also feature cultural and culinary showcases, along with live music performances by CM-MGMP artists each evening.
