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The fourth edition of the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) will convene on June 6–7, 2026, at Hotel Himalaya, Kathmandu, bringing together eminent writers, thinkers, artists, diplomats, spiritual leaders, academics, and public intellectuals from across South Asia and beyond to celebrate the region’s rich literary traditions and enduring civilizational connections.
With the theme “Beyond Borders: South Asian Literature in a Changing World,” the festival seeks to examine how literature, culture, memory, spirituality, and creative expression can contribute to shaping a more connected, compassionate, and culturally confident South Asia in an era of rapid global change.
The festival will be inaugurated in the presence of former Chief Justice and former Interim Prime Minister of Nepal, Sushila Karki, whose participation symbolizes Nepal’s democratic evolution, constitutional values, and the growing role of women’s leadership in the region.
Organized by the Kalinga Literary Festival in association with Yashaswi Pragyan Pratishthan, Kathmandu KLF has, since its launch in 2022, emerged as a significant platform for strengthening people-to-people ties between India and Nepal through literature, culture, language, and dialogue.
At a time when regional cooperation is increasingly shaped by cultural diplomacy and civilizational engagement, Kathmandu KLF offers a unique forum to explore the deep historical and spiritual connections linking India and Nepal. The festival celebrates shared traditions of pilgrimage, storytelling, scholarship, music, translation, and collective memory that have connected communities across borders for centuries.
Participants from India, Nepal, Dubai, London, and other global centers of the South Asian diaspora are expected to attend, highlighting Kathmandu’s growing role as a hub for literary and cultural exchange.
The festival will feature renowned personalities including Ila Arun, Dr. Pratibha Ray, Acharya Prashant, Piyush Mishra, Malini Awasthi, Vikas Swarup, Dr. Kuladhar Saikia, Upendra Nath Behera, Anant Vijay, Yatindra Mishra, Yunus Khan, Prof. Abhi Subedi, Prof. Dr. Beena Poudyal, Neelanjana Paul, Chandrasekhar Hota, Tulasi Diwas, and several distinguished authors, scholars, artists, journalists, musicians, and cultural leaders from across the region.
Over two days, discussions will focus on South Asian literature and shared futures, India–Nepal literary dialogue, translation, spirituality, diplomacy, women’s voices, climate and community futures, public service, finance education, cinema, music, media, tourism, and the Himalayan experience.
More than a literary gathering, Kathmandu KLF 2026 represents a celebration of a shared civilizational heritage. By fostering dialogue across borders, languages, and disciplines, the festival aims to reaffirm the idea that South Asia is not merely a geographic region but a living cultural and intellectual community bound together by history, imagination, and hope.
