Shillong Literary Festival 2023 to Feature Renowned Authors Kiran Desai and Damon Galgut
Celebrating Literature in Shillong
Kiran Desai (left), Damon Galgut (right)
Shillong, Oct 11: The sixth Shillong Literary Festival is set to take place at Ward’s Lake from November 12 to 14, featuring acclaimed authors Kiran Desai and Damon Galgut as its main attractions, as announced by the event organizers on Saturday.
Kiran Desai, who received the Booker Prize in 2006 for her novel The Inheritance of Loss, has recently had her latest work, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize.
Damon Galgut, a South African novelist and playwright, won the Booker Prize in 2021 for his book The Promise. He has been nominated for this prestigious award three times, with his writings often delving into themes of history, memory, family, and the impacts of apartheid.
These two authors are the first prominent figures confirmed for the festival, with additional writers and literary personalities expected to be announced soon.
This three-day festival aims to unite writers and readers, highlighting the literary heritage and storytelling traditions of Meghalaya's Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo communities, alongside voices from both national and international literary scenes.
In preparation for the festival, the organizers will conduct ‘First Bloom: Discovering New Writing from the Northeast’, an initiative inviting submissions from emerging writers in fiction and narrative non-fiction. The deadline for entries is October 20, with the winner receiving ₹50,000 and the runner-up ₹25,000.
Additionally, three workshops are scheduled. A session on career opportunities in the book industry will be led by Kanishka Gupta, while a creative writing workshop will be conducted by Mitra Phukan and Lalnunsanga Ralte on October 26 at the State Convention Centre in Shillong.
A photography workshop titled ‘Ways of Visual Practice’, featuring Menty Jamir, Indrajit Khambe, and Bipin Aspatwar, is planned for November 11.
The festival is being supported by the Department of Tourism of the Meghalaya Government.