Idrees Bukhtiyar
Srinagar, May 23: The third edition of the Kashmir Literature Festival (KLF) was officially announced in Srinagar on Saturday, with the two-day literary event scheduled to be held on May 30 and 31 at SKICC here.
Organised by the Srikula Foundation, the festival is set to bring together some of India’s and the world’s distinguished voices from literature, diplomacy, academia, art, and public life.
The announcement was made during a press conference held near the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar.
Speaking on the occasion, Naira Manzoor, Assistant Director of the festival, said the organisers were excited to host the third edition of the event in Kashmir.
“We are delighted to announce the third edition of the Kashmir Literature Festival. It will be a two-day event to be held on May 30 and 31 in Srinagar,” she said.
Over the years, KLF has emerged as a major cultural platform in Jammu & Kashmir, extending beyond literature to celebrate the region’s broader artistic and intellectual traditions. The festival will feature book and cover launches, panel discussions, thematic debates, literary dialogues, storytelling sessions, poetry recitals, open mic events, karaoke performances, and exhibitions celebrating local food and crafts.
The organisers said the festival is rooted in the belief that literature is part of a larger civilisational culture and that Jammu & Kashmir deserves a platform that reflects and honours its rich heritage in all its forms.
This year’s edition will witness participation from several noted personalities, including Neerja Mattoo, Khurshid Andrabi, Amitabh Mattoo, Raj Shukla, Deepak Vohra and Rouble Nagi, among others.
“The festival will also host senior bureaucrats, diplomats, scholars, writers, entrepreneurs, and public intellectuals, further strengthening KLF’s position as a platform for dialogue, culture, and civic engagement,” Naira said.
Naira Manzoor was joined at the press briefing by festival members Phillip Naithram and Musaddiq Reyaz, who spoke about the vision, ethos, and significance of organising an event of such scale in Srinagar and the wider Jammu & Kashmir region.
The organisers also acknowledged the support extended by the District Administration and the Union Territory Administration of Jammu & Kashmir in facilitating the event.
KLF 2026 has partnered with several organisations and media platforms, including Rising Kashmir, JioNews, BIG FM, CRL Diagnostics, Rampage Media, Pausecast, Qafilla-e-Mohabbat, and SMART, among others.
“At its core, KLF celebrates Kashmir’s long-standing legacy as a land of poetry, learning, dialogue, and civilisational depth,” the organisers said, adding that the festival is free and open to all.
The Kashmir Literature Festival is organised annually in Srinagar under the leadership of Yuvraj Srivastava and aims to bring together writers, poets, scholars, diplomats, and thinkers from across India and the world to celebrate the literary and cultural heritage of Jammu & Kashmir.
