The 17th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) was unveiled today at a special curtain-raiser at the iconic Oxford Bookstore in the distinguished presence of Anjum Katyal, Director, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival; Swagat Sengupta, CEO, Apeejay Oxford Bookstores; and Neeta Sreedharan, Programming Head, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival. The announcement reaffirmed AKLF’s place as one of Kolkata’s most cherished cultural events, celebrating books, ideas and meaningful dialogue. The festival will be held from 9–11 January 2026 at the historic Alipore Museum, bringing together some of the most powerful and engaging literary voices of our time.
The highlight of the AKLF 2026 curtain-raiser was the riveting session “The Thrill of the Legend”, featuring bestselling author Amish Tripathi in conversation with Priyadarshinee Guha.
AKLF 2026 will present a stellar ensemble of writers, thinkers, performers and public personalities, including Akshay Jaitley, Amit Lodha, Anand Neelakantan, Anita Agnihotri, Anita Nair, Aparna Sen, Arunava Sinha, Bachi Karkaria, Benyamin, Brinda Karat, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Dr. Helmut Böttiger, Durjoy Datta, Jeet Thayil, Jerry Pinto, Luke Coutinho, Mallika Dua, Pamela Philipose, Pavan K. Varma, Priyambada Jayakumar, Ratnaboli Ray, Riri Trivedi, Ruchir Joshi, Satyarth Nayak, Shobhaa De, Sundar Sarukkai, Swastika Mukherjee Usha Uthup andVijender Chauhan, among many others.
Spanning three intellectually stimulating days, the festival will take place across Alipore Museum, Oxford Bookstore and The Park, Kolkata, offering an expansive programme that includes sessions such as Aparna Sen Unplugged, Crime and Punishment: Tales of the Dark Side, Tok Jhaal Mishti: What Sets Bengal’s Cuisine Apart, Surviving the Dark: Abuse and Women’s Experience, Motherlode: Mining the Myths, Duty Calls: Police and the Crime Thriller, Celebrating the City: Kolkata Stories, and On Living, Dying and Everything that Matters, among several others. The festival promises a vibrant blend of literature, cinema, music, history, wellness, politics, food culture and contemporary social discourse.
The Oxford Junior Literary Festival (OJLF), to be held at Oxford Bookstore, will engage young readers through interactive ‘meet the author’ sessions, creative workshops, word games and storytelling. Designed to spark curiosity and encourage a love for books, OJLF aims to inspire the next generation of readers and creators. Meanwhile, the Poetry Café at the Alipore Museum will offer a dynamic space for established and emerging poets to share their work, encouraging a rich exchange of ideas and artistic expression.
Sharing her thoughts at the curtain raiser, Priti Paul, Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group, said, “As we unveil the curtain raiser for the 17th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, we are reminded once again of the enduring spirit of creativity and dialogue that has defined AKLF since its inception. This year holds special significance as we host this edition at the historic Alipore Museum—an iconic space that mirrors our commitment to preserving heritage while nurturing contemporary thought. Over the years, AKLF has grown into much more than a literary festival; it has become a living testament to Kolkata’s cultural heartbeat, a meeting ground where diverse voices spark meaningful conversations and new ideas take flight. As we move forward, we remain dedicated to fostering an inclusive, vibrant and forward-looking platform that celebrates the transformative power of literature and the city that continues to inspire us.”
Speaking on the occasion, Anjum Katyal, Director, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, said, “The 17th edition of Kolkata’s pioneering lit fest, AKLF, promises to deliver as much excitement, relevance and enjoyment as it has every year so far. Thanks to its base in the heritage Oxford Bookstore, readers and books remain at the heart of this festival, which offers something for everyone, as a good bookstore does. The 2026 has a major focus on gender, history, wellness and translation, all contemporary issues that are foremost in the public imagination. We are looking forward to welcoming some of our country’s leading minds and personalities, as well as significant writers from abroad.”
The valued partners for AKLF 2026 include Café Coutume and Cha Bar asRefreshment Partners; Flurys as Gifting Partner; Navkrit and Leven Events as Event Partners; The Park, Kolkata and Kenilworth Hotel as Hospitality Partners; Progressive Educational Techniques Society (Teacher’s Centre) as Institutional Partner; Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, French Embassy in India / Ambassade de France en Inde, Alliance française du Bengale and Glenburn Penthouse as Festival Partners. The festival is further supported by leading publishing houses as Session Partners including Aleph Book Company, Bloomsbury, Hachette, HarperCollins, Juggernaut, Niyogi Books, Orient Blackswan, Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Rajkamal Prakashan, Readomania, Routledge, Rupa Publications, Seagull Books, Speaking Tiger, Unbound Script, Westland Books and many more.
About Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival: Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, India’s only literary festival created by a bookstore and Kolkata’s first literary festival, mirrors the city’s rich cultural and intellectual legacy. It celebrates literature as part of our tangible and intangible heritage, bringing together books, music, art, film and ideas at the city’s magnificent heritage venues. For more details, visit www.aklf.in.
About Oxford Bookstores: Established in 1919, Oxford Bookstore is one of the oldest heritage bookstores of the nation. It is India’s only bookstore to curate multiple literary festivals like Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob and Hindi Sahitya Utsav. The Oxford Bookstore not only offers book lovers access to the very best books and ambience, but also India’s first of its kind tea boutique, Cha Bar. At Oxford Bookstores, success is measured by the smiles on millions of happy readers that the brand has served over the last 100 years. Each time you walk into our iconic store in Kolkata, its old-world charm leaves you enchanted and desiring for more. Our fleet of ‘happy to help’ the knowledgeable booksellers and conversant hosts, work round the clock to bring to our vendees and world-class reading experience. Be it through our books or our fine teas we abide by the brand’s motto – Much more than a bookstore – at every Bookstore.
About the Author
