Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], January 1 (ANI): The Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) 2026 has announced NASA astronaut Sunita Williams as a key participant and Guest of Honour for this year’s edition. The announcement was made by DC Books, the festival organiser, through social media, welcoming Williams with a poster stating, “Her name is etched in space. We are over the moon to announce that the legendary astronaut Sunita Williams will be joining us as our Guest of Honour. Get ready for an out-of-this-world experience with Sunita Williams at the Kerala Literature Festival.”
KLF 2026 will feature over 500 speakers from around the globe, with Germany as the guest nation for this edition. The speaker lineup includes Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah, Olga Tokarczuk, and Abhijit Banerjee; Olympian Ben Johnson; business leader Indra Nooyi; artist Cheyenne Olivier; writers Gabriela Ybarra, Amish Tripathi, Shobhaa De, and Deepa Bhasthi; economist Arvind Subramanian; linguist Peggy Mohan; actor and singer Piyush Mishra; curator Helen Molesworth; environmental activist Dr Vandana Shiva; and several other distinguished authors, academics, and cultural figures.
The festival will also host Jnanpith award-winning writer Pratibha Ray, historian Romila Thapar, novelist Anita Nair, Telugu author Volga, conservation biologist Neha Sinha, actor Prakash Raj, author-diplomat Pavan K. Varma, public intellectual Dr Shashi Tharoor, comedian Vir Das, and Tamil film director Pa. Ranjith.
Held annually in Kozhikode, India’s first UNESCO City of Literature, the Kerala Literature Festival has become one of the world’s largest literary gatherings. The previous edition attracted over 6.5 lakh visitors and featured more than 600 speakers. Set against the scenic Kozhikode Beach, KLF continues to provide an open platform for dialogue, creativity, and the exchange of ideas. (ANI)
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