New Delhi, May 9: The two-day national prelude of the Shillong Literary Festival 2026 concluded today at Bikaner House, bringing together authors, filmmakers, policymakers, and cultural voices to celebrate Meghalaya’s literary and creative spirit ahead of the main festival in November. Organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the event capped two days of panels on Northeast literature, ecology, food, translation, and identity.
Day 2 opened with Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil P. Ahammed, IAS, launching _Shillong: Glimpses of a City Through the Eyes of an Amateur Photographer_ by Bikika Laloo Tariang. The first session, ‘Bridge of Dreams: Aspirations and Opportunities for Tomorrow’, saw football icon Eugeneson Lyngdoh and entrepreneur Mayukh Hazarika discuss how Meghalaya’s climate, botanicals, and sports infrastructure are driving global interest and tourism. Lyngdoh praised the upcoming Mawkhanu Football Stadium as key to building a long-term athlete ecosystem, while Hazarika noted, “When you create something phenomenal, which is scalable, everybody starts benefiting.”
A panel on ‘Shillong On A Plate’ with Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, Hoihnu Hauzel, and Hammarsing Kharhmar explored the city’s food scene and Khasi culinary profiles. Scindia said Shillong is “not just tribal” and called for broader global understanding, while Hauzel and Kharhmar highlighted indigenous ingredients and the everyday reality of “farm to table” in local Kong shops. Young writers Subi Taba, Daribha Lyndem, and Jim Kasom followed with ‘Words and Worlds From The Northeast’, urging stories to move beyond stereotypes and treat geography as more than backdrop.
In ‘Ecology and Identity’, journalist Patricia Mukhim, Neha Sinha, and Sankirang Khongwir linked Meghalaya’s culture to conservation, calling it a long-term, intergenerational responsibility rooted in oral histories. Later, Namita Gokhale, Shobhaa De, and Sanjoy Hazarika reflected on ‘Once Upon A Time At A Literature Festival’. Gokhale read from _Jaipur Journals_ and said grassroots festivals connect writers with readers. De praised SLF for its “organic, inspiring atmosphere” that validates diverse voices, while Hazarika lauded its inclusion of Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia recitations. The day closed with ‘Penning A New Future’, where D. Bandarilin Bairo and Barbara Sangma discussed the legacy and future of Khasi and Garo literature, from naming songs and folk arts to centuries-old oral traditions now coexisting with the written word.
Day 1 had opened with a dialogue between Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and journalist Shekhar Gupta, followed by sessions with 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner Suparna Sharma, filmmakers Pradip Kurbah and Dominic Sangma, and actor Naseeruddin Shah, who said stories are “the very breath of culture.” The night also saw the launch of the Khasi edition of _Scaling Mount UPSC_ by Sajjan Singh Yadav, IAS. Performances by artists under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Program rounded off both evenings.
With the Delhi prelude’s success, the 6th Shillong Literary Festival will be held at Wards Lake from November 12 to 14, 2026.
