Odisha Literary Festival 2026 Launches with Diverse Themes and Notable Speakers

The event will take place over two days and will be inaugurated by Arif Mohammad Khan, former Governor of Bihar and Kerala, at Hotel Mayfair Convention. He will be joined by TNIE editorial director Prabhu Chawla, TNIE Group CEO Lakshmi Menon, and Odisha resident editor Siba Mohanty.

The festival is set to feature 25 sessions with over 40 speakers, showcasing a wide array of topics. Khan's opening session titled ‘Text and Context: Why Reading Matters’ will set the tone for a rich exploration of literature's role in society. Following this, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi will discuss India’s democratic journey in the session ‘India and I: Evidence of a Democracy in Action.’

Additional highlights include author Neha Sinha's discussion on nature in ‘Chasing Fireflies, Talking to Trees: The Inner World of Nature’ and a tribute to actor Irrfan Khan in ‘Remembering Irrfan: A Life in Cinema,’ featuring Sutapa Sikdar and journalist Kaveree Bamzai. Veteran diplomat Navtej Sarna will present ‘The Art of Diplomacy: Writing Different Worlds,’ while a session titled ‘Writing on Kashmir: Contested Past, Conflicted Present’ will feature discussions with ICHR chairperson Prof Raghuvendra Tanwar and Prof Amitabh Mattoo from JNU.

The festival will also shed light on significant figures in science, with Anand Ranganathan discussing ‘Forgotten Heroes of Indian Science.’ A critical examination of ideology in academia will occur in the session ‘Ideology in Academics: Left, Right, Who is Right?’ featuring authors Ratan Sharda and Makarand R Paranjape.

A special segment will honor literary figure JP Das through ‘In Memory of JP Das: Experiments with the Written Word,’ featuring notable critics and translators. Actor Amol Parashar and historian Anirudh Kanisetti will share their journeys and perspectives during the festival, along with a closing session led by senior journalist Ashutosh discussing youth beliefs.

Day one will conclude with a performance by singer and author Vidya Shah, along with the release of three new books, including ‘The Orissan: 2,500 Years of Odisha’s Culinary Heritage’ by Sandip Das and Alka Jena.

On Sunday, writer Ria Chopra will explore growing up in the digital age, followed by a discussion on the future of Odia publishing. A notable session will address ‘Food Stories: What We Eat is Who We Are,’ featuring chef Maria Goretti.

Continuing the theme of revisiting history, writers Sohail Rekhy and Anuja Chandramouli will share lesser-known narratives, while poet Meena Kandasamy will address women's issues through her talk ‘The Rage of Women: Lighting the Way Forward.’

Prominent figures, including Santrupt Misra, MP and former Director of Human Resources at Aditya Birla Group, and author Amish Tripathi, will also participate, discussing leadership and morality in daily life.

The festival will close with the release of ‘Poems Across Times: One Family, Three Voices’ by retired IAS officer Bibhu Acharya, in the presence of his son, product manager Ansuman Acharya.