Shillong Literary Festival to hold Delhi prelude with focus on Northeast voices

The Meghalaya government will host a two-day prelude to the Shillong Literary Festival in New Delhi this week, bringing writers, filmmakers, actors and public intellectuals together as part of a wider push to expand the festival’s national reach.

Scheduled for May 8 and 9 at Bikaner House, the event is expected to focus on literature, identity, ecology, food, cinema and indigenous traditions from the Northeast, alongside discussions on culture and governance.

The Shillong Literary Festival, launched in 2021, has emerged as one of the prominent literary gatherings in the Northeast. The Delhi edition is being positioned as a curtain-raiser to the main festival in Meghalaya later this year.

Among the key sessions planned is a conversation between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Shekhar Gupta. Actor Naseeruddin Shah is also scheduled to participate in a reading from Vikram Seth’s work, Beastly Tales From Here and There.

Other speakers include Shobhaa De, Sanjoy Hazarika, Patricia Mukhim, filmmaker Pradip Kurbah and actor-filmmaker Dominic Sangma.

The programme will also feature discussions centred on Khasi and Garo traditions, regional literature in translation, and the evolving food culture of Shillong. Live performances by artists associated with Meghalaya’s grassroots music initiative are also expected during the event.

Officials said the prelude is aimed at increasing national visibility for Meghalaya’s cultural sector while promoting tourism through literature, arts and music. The state government has increasingly used festivals and cultural events to position Meghalaya as a destination for experiential and culture-led tourism.