The Shillong Literary Festival 2026 – New Delhi Prelude opened to a grand response at Bikaner House on May 9, bringing together prominent voices from literature, cinema, journalism, governance, and the creative arts ahead of the main festival scheduled to be held in Shillong from November 12 to 14.
Organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the two-day prelude aims to expand Meghalaya’s cultural presence nationally while promoting the state as a growing destination for literature, arts, music, and culture-led tourism.
A major highlight of the inaugural day was an engaging conversation between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta, where discussions centered on governance, youth aspirations, entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism, and the Northeast’s evolving identity.
Speaking on the growth of the literary festival, Sangma said the event had steadily evolved into a nationally recognized cultural platform. “We started off small. Now we are seeing it grow. It has become a calendar event, and more importantly it is known throughout the country,” he said, adding that the Delhi prelude was intended to introduce the festival to a wider audience across India.
He further expressed hope that the festival would eventually emerge as a globally recognised cultural event.
Commissioner and Secretary of the Meghalaya Tourism Department, Dr Vijay Kumar D, in his welcome address, said the festival celebrates Meghalaya’s literary, cinematic, musical, and cultural heritage while creating a larger national platform for voices from the Northeast.