The 11th Ahmedabad International Literature Festival will bring writers, poets, filmmakers, educators and cultural representatives from India and six other countries to The Ummed in Ahmedabad on October 24 and 25, 2026. The two-day event will examine books, cinema, Hindi poetry, regional writing and the changing role of media in the age of artificial intelligence.

Organised by the Ikon Education Foundation, the festival will follow the theme “Literature & the Echoes of Joy: Stories That Heal, Inspire and Redefine Joy”. Its programme will include discussions on how stories shape personal experiences, preserve cultural traditions and help people understand different communities.

Umashanker Yadav, founder-director of the Ahmedabad International Literature Festival (AILF), said participants from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Russia, Vietnam, Iraq and Mali would join Indian writers and professionals with international experience.

The gathering comes at a time when books and storytelling are reaching readers through several channels, including printed publications, digital platforms, films and online media. The festival’s programme will look at how these forms of storytelling relate to one another and how writers can reach younger audiences.

The announced participants include Padma Shri awardee Kumarpal Desai, V. S. Gadhvi, IAS (Retd.), Manoj Aggarwal, IAS (Retd.), filmmaker and screenwriter Sanjay Chhel, filmmaker Umesh Shukla, filmmaker Abhishek Shah, Telugu writer P. Lalita Kumari, popularly known as Volga, Dr Manjula Pooja Shroff, literary scholar Dr Sharifa Vijaliwala and poet Anil Chavda.

Kumarpal Desai has written more than 100 books covering biography, literary criticism, research, religion and children’s literature. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2004 for his work in literature, education and culture.

Volga is known for her Telugu writing on women’s lives and rights. She received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2015 for her short-story collection Vimukta Kadha Samputi. Her participation adds a voice from Telugu literature to a programme that includes writers working in different Indian languages.

The festival will also include discussions on Hindi literature, poetry and writing from other countries. Sessions will examine the links between reading, writing and cinema, the role books play in people’s lives, and ways to encourage younger generations to read.

Another subject will be the connection between personal interests and professional work. Such discussions may appeal to students and aspiring writers who want to understand how people build careers in creative fields.

Film-making will receive considerable attention during the two days. A session titled From Dream to Screen: The Making of Drop Out will bring together Umashanker Yadav, Vivek Yadav and Sandeep Yadav to discuss the making of the Hindi film.

Other sessions will examine the process of turning a first draft into a finished film. They will also consider how new technology is changing the way stories are written, produced and presented to audiences.

The programme will look at the relationship between literature and cinema, including the movement of stories from the printed page to the screen. Film adaptations often introduce books and their characters to people who may not otherwise read them. The festival’s discussions will give participants a chance to consider the creative decisions involved in this process.

Artificial intelligence and its effect on the media industry will form another part of the programme. The subject has become relevant to journalists, writers and filmmakers as digital tools change how content is produced and distributed. Questions around authorship, original work and the role of human creativity are likely to remain central to such discussions, although the announced programme does not specify the exact format of these sessions.

Tourism and cultural experiences will also feature, taking the conversation beyond books and films. Book launches and stalls are planned, giving visitors opportunities to find new titles and meet people working in publishing and literature.

Umashanker Yadav founded the Ahmedabad International Literature Festival in 2016 through the Ikon Education Foundation. Since its first edition, the event has provided a meeting place for writers, poets, academics, filmmakers, journalists and readers.

The festival’s 2024 edition featured more than 50 speakers from India and abroad across over 20 sessions. Its programme included discussions on women writers, contemporary Hindi literature, young people and literature, Hindi film lyrics and streaming platforms.

The 11th edition continues the festival’s focus on conversations across languages and creative fields. Its reach will depend in part on how well the sessions connect with readers beyond the established literary community, including students and people who are beginning to explore books and writing.

The event will take place at The Ummed, Ahmedabad, on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, 2026. Its stated theme, “Literature & the Echoes of Joy: Stories That Heal, Inspire and Redefine Joy”, places the human experience of reading and storytelling at the centre of the programme.

For Ahmedabad’s literary community, the two-day meeting offers an opportunity to hear writers and filmmakers discuss their work and the choices behind it. It also gives readers a chance to encounter voices from other regions and countries without leaving the city.

Must Read:

Pushpa Impossible Stars Karuna Pandey and Mukul Visit Ahmedabad

Dhruv Parva Ends After Three Days of Music in Gandhinagar