Penguin Presents The White Owl Literature Festival & Book Fair Returns for Its Third Edition in Nagaland
DIMAPUR, 20 December 2025; Penguin Random House India and The White Owl are delighted to announce the third edition of Penguin Presents The White Owl Literature Festival & Book Fair, taking place from 5–7 February 2026 at Zone Niathu by The Park in Chümoukedima, Nagaland. Building on its remarkable rise as one of the Northeast’s most dynamic and distinctive cultural gatherings, the festival continues to champion powerful voices, hyperlocal storytelling, contemporary conversations and the unique creative pulse of the region.
This year’s edition carries forward the festival’s consolidated annual theme, “Celebrating Stories, Inspiring Minds.” The theme reflects the Northeast’s deep literary roots—from oral traditions to contemporary narratives—and celebrates the region’s role in shaping the country’s cultural imagination. This focus comes alive in the 2026 programme, which blends local, hyperlocal, national and global perspectives, and features sessions exploring reading habits among children, the art of storytelling across fiction and non-fiction, translation, cultural identity, mental health, podcasting, social media economies, fake news literacy, business and legacy building, AI, and much more.
This year’s programme brings together a powerful line-up of writers, cultural practitioners and contemporary creators. Featured speakers include Daribha Lyndem, award-winning author; Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar–winning writer; Pauline Fan, leading Southeast Asian author and translator; Snigdha Poonam, acclaimed journalist and author; Ayesha Chenoy, debut children’s writer; Merenla Imsong, one of India’s most recognisable Northeastern actors, writers and content creators; Alobo Naga, musician and host of the hugely popular Alobo Naga Show; Avantika Haflongbar, writer and culture commentator; and Srinath Sridharan, business strategist and author, to name a few. Together with many other speakers from across the region and the country, they anchor one of the most thoughtfully curated literary programmes in the Northeast, spanning conversations on storytelling, identity, media, business, culture and more.
Adding to the excitement, Penguin and The White Owl will also be jointly launching the third edition of The Perfect Pitch—one of India’s most anticipated writing mentorship platforms run by a publishing house—during the festival. This year’s edition, themed around fiction inspired by the Northeast, will open for submissions in the coming days, with full details revealed soon.
Viketuno Rio, Festival Director and proprietor of The White Owl, says, “Every year, we work to create a festival that is rooted in the Northeast and open to the world. This edition, with its mix of regional voices and national perspectives, represents the strongest reflection yet of who we are. If there is one place to experience the region’s cultural energy at its best, this festival is it.”
Deepthi Talwar, Programme Director of the 2026 edition and Executive Editor at Penguin Random House India, adds, “Curating this programme has been a privilege. We have brought together an extraordinary range of writers, thinkers and creators—from storytellers and translators to podcasters, academics, illustrators and entrepreneurs. It is the most thoughtfully designed festival we’ve created for the Northeast, and I genuinely believe anyone who attends will walk away inspired.”
The festival welcomes visitors from across Nagaland, the Northeast and the rest of India. With its strong emphasis on inclusivity, community-building and discovery, the festival invites aspiring writers, readers, students, young adults, families and cultural enthusiasts to join three days of discussions, workshops, readings, demonstrations and interactive sessions. Tickets are available online, with free entry for school and college students carrying valid ID.
Festival updates will be available on The White Owl’s website and social media handles, and on Penguin Random House India’s platforms.
Event Details
Date: February 5-7, 2025
Venue: Zone Niathu by The Park in Chümoukedima
Ticketing Information: Entry Fee INR 50. Free entry for school and college students with official student identification.
Website: https://thewhiteowl.in/
X: @TWO_Nagaland | Instagram: thewhiteowl_nagaland
X: @Penguinindia | Instagram: @Penguinindia | Facebook: @Penguinindia | Linkedin: @penguinrandomhouseindia
