Memory, Language
& Belonging
What must we remember?
→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
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.
What must we remember?
→How must we live?
→Where do we go from here?
→
Readers. Writers. Publishers.
New Worlds.
Dilip D’Souza, Mmhonlumo Kikon, Rita Chowdhury, Sumantra Bose In conversation with Karma Paljor
Amabel Susngi, Mitra Phukan, Sebanti Chatterjee Moderated by Mary Therese Kurkalang
Banamallika Choudhury, Niranjan Kunwar, Santa Khurai In conversation with Anish Gawande