KLF 2026 begins jan 22 at Kozhikode beach, Sunita Williams to attend

Kozhikode: The ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), Asia's largest literary gathering, is set to hit Kozhikode Beach into a global stage starting on January 22. As the first major celebration since Kozhikode was named India's first UNESCO City of Literature, the four-day event will feature an extraordinary lineup including astronaut Sunita Williams, who joins as a guest of honor after her nine-month space mission.

Nobel laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah and Abhijit Banerjee, founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales, Olympian Ben Johns will join the forthcoming programme. With Germany as the guest nation, the festival will host over 400 speakers from 17 countries, blending high-level intellectual debate with a vibrant dedicated children's segment and evening cultural performances ranging from German music festivals to live concerts by Job Kurian.

The inaugural ceremony will be attended by the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan along with the MInister of Tourism PA Muhammed Riyas, Sunitha Williams, actor Bhavana, Nirmala Lakshman and many more delegates at 6 PM on Kozhikode Beach. This year's infrastructure reflects that scale, featuring eight beachside venues and special installations like -"The Berlin Kitchen,-" ensuring Kozhikode remains at the heart of the world's cultural map.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.