Published Aug 21, 2026 | 6:26 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 21, 2026 | 6:26 PM
The three-day festival began with a session titled ‘Linguistic Hegemony: Indian Languages and the Federal Imagination’.
Synopsis: The Book Brahma Literature Festival 2026 opened in Bengaluru with discussions across nine stages, bringing together writers and readers to explore language, literature, culture and contemporary society. The first day featured sessions on linguistic dominance, regional languages and personal journeys, alongside author interactions, book launches and programmes for children and young readers.
The Book Brahma Literature Festival (BBLF) 2026 opened at St. John’s Auditorium in Koramangala, Bengaluru on Friday, 21 August with discussions across nine stages in Kannada, English, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali and Malayalam, bringing together writers, readers and speakers to examine language, literature, culture and contemporary society.
Presented by MILHS, the three-day festival began with a session titled ‘Linguistic Hegemony: Indian Languages and the Federal Imagination’, which examined linguistic dominance, the relationship between Indian languages, translation and the factors shaping writing. The discussion also addressed the challenges faced by regional-language writers amid the growing use of English and Hindi.
South First is the digital partner for the event.
Senior writers OL Nagabhushana Swamy, MS Ashadevi, NS Madhavan and Keshav Guha participated in the session, moderated by Divya Kalavala.
At the Mantapa stage, actor and director Ramesh Aravind spoke about his life, experiences and personal journey in a session titled ‘Every Journey Deserves to Be Told – A Solo from Ramesh Aravind’.
He said that everyone has a story to tell and that small incidents, successes, failures, challenges, hardships and losses in life teach valuable lessons. Rather than comparing themselves with others, people must understand their own journeys, he said.
Life, he said, should not merely be a journey towards achieving goals, but one in which every experience is cherished along the way.
Bookworms also had an opportunity to meet and interact with authors at the Mukha Mukhi stage, where conversations offered insights into the thoughts, experiences and creative worlds behind their works.
At the Angala stage, writers discussed the depth, breadth, nuances and diverse dimensions of language. The Mantapa stage hosted conversations on the power of language, the responsibility of literature, the role of readers and the relationship between literature and contemporary society, with discussions spanning cinema, language, literature and media.
The Mathana and Akshara stages featured discussions centred on literature in different languages, while the Anavarana stage saw the launch of several recently published works.
The Chinnara Loka stage focused on nurturing an interest in literature among children. Kavya Kanasu, or PoeTTree, provided a space for poetry readings and conversations between authors and readers. The NEWZEN stage invited young participants to express and share their ideas and perspectives.
Book stalls, toys, handicrafts, food and other attractions added to the first day’s programme.
The second day of the BBLF 2026 on 22 August will open with Strings of Serenity, a sitar jugalbandi by Ustad Rafique Khan and Ustad Shafique Khan at the Mantapa main auditorium.
Among the major sessions are writer, journalist and political commentator Rasheed Kidwai’s conversation with Maya Sharma on Power, Politics, and the Making of a Kingmaker; the Book Brahma–Bookworm Fiction of the Year finalists’ discussion featuring Benyamin, Perumal Murugan, Salma and Imayam; and People Before Politics: Is India Ready For a New Political Culture?, featuring Darshan Puttannaiah and G B Vinay Kumar.
Keshava Guha will discuss The Indian Novel After Liberalisation: Cities, Power and Privilege with Mehdi Khawaja, while Binod Chaudhary will speak on enterprise, civilisations and the Himalayan spirit. The programme will also include the Book Brahma Independence Day Story Competition award ceremony.
Parallel sessions will examine feminist literature, translation, Dalit writing, theatre, literary criticism, Bengali literature in translation, the changing forms of storytelling and contemporary Kannada literature. Also in store are several new book launches at the Anavarana stage.
The programme for children will include storytelling, mystery and drama sessions, while NEWZEN will host masterclasses on poetry and literary translation, along with discussions on social media, cinema, youth and politics.
The day will conclude with Echoes of Devotion, a Carnatic vocal concert by TS Sathyavathi and her team. The full schedule is available here.
