3 Nobel laureates, Olympian Ben Johnson, Amish Tripathi among 400 speakers to attend KLF 2026

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) is set to return to the Kozhikode beachfront on January 22 next year with over 400 speakers, including Nobel laureates, Booker Prize winners, economists, artists and athletes.

The four-day literary extravaganza, now in its ninth edition, will be attended by the likes of Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah, Olga Tokarczuk and Abhijit Banerjee, Booker Prize-winning writer-activist Banu Mushtaq, Olympian Ben Johnson, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, artist Cheyenne Olivier, economist Arvind Subramanian as well as noted writers Gabriela Ybarra, Peggy Mohan, Shobhaa De and Amish Tripathi.

The 2026 edition will host 250 sessions across seven parallel tracks, complemented by evening performances, concerts, and artistic showcases along the beachfront.

“KLF has evolved into a platform where literature and art coexist with science, cinema, and social thought. Every year, it becomes a meeting point for some of the most creative and courageous minds from around the world. The 2026 edition will continue this journey by deepening the exchange of ideas and celebrating cultural diversity,” said Ravi Deecee, chief facilitator at KLF.

Germany has been named the guest nation for KLF 2026. Its participation will feature a dedicated pavilion, a writing residency for German authors in Vagamon, and a creative writing workshop for emerging Malayalam writers.

"Germany shares a close cultural relationship with Kerala, and we are excited to reaffirm this relationship through our programming for Kerala Literature Festival... Together with our partners, the German Consulate in Bangalore and the Goethe-Zentrum in Trivandrum, we will bring German authors and artists to the warm sands of Kozhikode beach," said Michael Heinst, director of Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore.

The German pavilion will showcase contemporary literature, art, and creative industries, while a large-scale light installation on Kozhikode Beach will serve as a visual centrepiece symbolising collaboration and cultural exchange.

The partnership follows the successful presence of France in last year’s edition, which was attended by over 6,50,000 visitors and 600 speakers.

The literary fest will also feature fusion nights, concerts, theatre, and traditional and contemporary art performances, continuing the festival’s emphasis on immersive cultural experiences.

It will come to a close on January 25. PTI MG MAH MAH