27 – 31 JANUARY 2027
USTM CAMPUS, MEGHALAYA, INDIA

27 – 31 JANUARY 2027
USTM CAMPUS, MEGHALAYA, INDIA

A confluence of Rhythm,
word and Art

Through the rhythm of our hills and rivers, this festival becomes a meeting ground for humanity – where words find melody, and silence becomes song.

A confluence of Rhythm, word and Art

Through the rhythm of our hills and rivers, this festival becomes a meeting ground for humanity – where words find melody, and silence becomes song.

SUSTAINING THE FUTURE

Earth. People. Memory. Meaning.
Sustaining the World Within and Around Us

What are we trying to sustain?
Sustainability is not only about protecting the environment. It is also about protecting what makes human life meaningful—our languages and memories, dignity and compassion, childhood and imagination, knowledge and wisdom, and our relationship with the living world.

Rooted in the Brahmaputra valley and open to the world, the Festival brings literature into conversation with the defining questions of our time: What must we remember? How must we live? Where do we go from here?

At its heart lies one belief: a sustainable future is not simply a world that survives, but a world in which humanity remains human.

“What we choose to love, protect and pass on will shape the future. Let us ask together: what must remain alive for us to remain human?”
— Rita Chowdhury, Festival Director

The tapestry of Assam’s culture remains incomplete without the poetic presence of the river Brahmaputra. Winding through verdant valleys in Assam, it has long inspired the literary heart of the region. The river’s landscape is a recurring motif in the folklore of the region, celebrating life, love and nature. Hailed as a living chronicle, the river is the witness to the history of the region. Besides, the river has been a venerated figure in the lyrical compositions of Assamese musical icons and literary luminaries such as Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Dr Bhupen Hazarika, Zubeen Garg and beyond. The themes of life, journey and change as represented by its water has been a core influence within the region’s literary tradition. The river’s towering presence in the valley and its ever-changing mood becomes the ripe ground for seedlings of imagination to take root. To heighten the region’s literary atmosphere, Adharxila trust of Assam hosts the Brahmaputra Literature Festival, establishing itself as an landmark event in the state’s literary calendar. The festival is a celebration of the finest writing and culture from Assam and the greater Northeast region. The festival aims at creating a meaningful connection between the Northeast and the rest of India, as well as with neighbouring countries and the global literary and publishing communities.

“Through the rhythm of our hills and rivers, this festival becomes a meeting ground for humanity – where words find melody, and silence becomes song.”

-Dr Rita Chowdhury

Theme: A confluence of Rhythm, Word and Art- Celebrating the voice of Humanity

The thematic inspiration of Brahmaputra Literature Festival 2026 seeks to rediscover how nature and art together create the language of being a human. The hills that cradle the valley hum a melody, which the river echoes and the literature flows in rhythm along with its waves. From the silent depths of poetry to the soaring power of song, the festival becomes the meeting ground and silence, of creation and contemplation. As with the river, the Brahmaputra Literature Festival 2026 unfolds in vast, poetic currents, enriched with language and song.

World Book Fair
DAY 1 · 27 JANUARY

Memory, Language
& Belonging

What must we remember?

→
DAY 2 · 28 JANUARY

Earth, People
& Responsibility

How must we live?

→
DAY 3 · 29 JANUARY

Books, Childhood,
Technology & the Future

Where do we go from here?

→
WORLD BOOK FAIR
27 – 31 JANUARY

Books
a Wider Tomorrow

Readers. Writers. Publishers.
New Worlds.

→

About The Festival

The Brahmaputra Literature Festival (BLF), organized by the Adharxila Trust, Assam, is a celebration of the finest writing and culture from Assam and the greater Northeast region. The festival aims to create meaningful connections between the Northeast and the rest of India, as well as with neighbouring countries and the global literary and publishing communities. From next year, the BLF will be held every February in Assam, establishing itself as an annual landmark event in state’s literary calendar.
Adharxila Trust, established in 2012 by acclaimed writer and cultural icon Rita Chowdhury, is a dynamic organization dedicated to preserving, promoting and celebrating the rich literary and cultural heritage of Assam and the greater Northeast region. With a mission to engage and inspire the youth, the trust amplifies the region’s voices, stories and traditions through literary festivals, cultural initiatives and collaborative projects that forge connections with the rest of India and the global community.

Schedule

Thu 20 Nov
Fri 21 Nov
Sat 22 Nov
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Thursday
10:00 AM
Our Hills, Our Histories...
10:40 AM
Cinema, Literature and Impact...
11:20 AM
The Power of a Poem...
10:00 AM
Morning Keynote: Stories from the Hills.
10:30 AM
Children’s Storytelling Session.

3PM | Panel

Bridging Histories: Place in India’s National Story

Dilip D’Souza, Mmhonlumo Kikon, Rita Chowdhury, Sumantra Bose In conversation with Karma Paljor

4pm | Interactive Presentation

The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music: Documenting Music in the Region

Amabel Susngi, Mitra Phukan, Sebanti Chatterjee Moderated by Mary Therese Kurkalang

5pm | Conversation & Readings

The other stories

Banamallika Choudhury, Niranjan Kunwar, Santa Khurai In conversation with Anish Gawande

Mammoth Festival
Event Location
25/02/2025
12:00 am
12:52 pm
$18
25
FEB
Beerland Festival
Event Location
25/02/2025
12:00 am
12:52 pm
$18
25
FEB

FREE ENTRY FOR ANY CROUP OF STUDENTS UNDER AUTHORISED

SUPERVISORS OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Our Speakers 2027

venue

Sivasagar

Sivasagar is the abode to some of the most prominent, wondrous archaeological and architectural marvels of the glorious past. It’s the erstwhile Rangpur, which served as the capital of the Ahoms for over a century. The verdant landscape of the city is strewn with over 350 monuments, numerous ancient temples, and forts. Of the many, Ranghar, Talatal ghar, Kareng ghar, Shiva Doul, and the Moidams in Charaideo are the standalone reflections of the grandeur and artistic brilliance that took shape under the skilled patronage of the Ahom kings. This architectural grandeur is reflected in the region’s literature, detailed in chronicles such as the Buranjis. As the daylight breaks in, these majestic monuments, with their ancient charm, surrounded by the verdant lawns, under the azure skies, become a heavenly sight to behold

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