Nagaland's White Owl Lit Festival 2026 to spotlight Northeast's literary legacy

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) The third edition of The White Owl Literature Festival & Book Fair will begin from February 5 in Nagaland, with spotlight on northeast’s vibrant literary and storytelling heritage, tracing its journey from age-old oral traditions to modern-day narratives, while recognising the region’s contribution to India’s cultural landscape.

Organised by Penguin Random House India and literary institute The White Owl, the three-day literary event centred on the theme “Celebrating Stories, Inspiring Minds" will be hosted at Zone Niathu by The Park, Chümoukedima, Nagaland.

This year’s festival will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, including acclaimed author Daribha Lyndem, Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar recipient Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, actor Merenla Imsong of "Paatal Lok Season 2" fame, and popular musician Alobo Naga.

"Every year, we work to create a festival that is rooted in the Northeast and open to the world. This edition, with its mix of regional voices and national perspectives, represents the strongest reflection yet of who we are. If there is one place to experience the region’s cultural energy at its best, this festival is it," said Viketuno Rio, festival's director and proprietor of The White Owl.

The programme will cover a wide range of topics, including children’s reading habits, storytelling in fiction and non-fiction, translation, cultural identity, mental health, podcasting, social media economies, media literacy and fake news, entrepreneurship and legacy building, artificial intelligence, and more.

One of the major attractions will be Penguin’s flagship writing mentorship and discovery initiative, "The Perfect Pitch".

For this edition, unpublished writers from across India are invited to submit fiction inspired by the Northeast, giving the programme a distinctly regional focus. The submissions will be accepted until January 10, 2026.

“We have brought together an extraordinary range of writers, thinkers and creators -- from storytellers and translators to podcasters, academics, illustrators and entrepreneurs. It is the most thoughtfully designed festival we’ve created for the Northeast, and I genuinely believe anyone who attends will walk away inspired," said Deepthi Talwar, programme director of the 2026 edition and executive editor at PRHI.

Tickets for the festival are available online, with free entry for school and college students upon presentation of valid identification. The event will conclude on February 7, 2026. PTI MG MAH MAH