Shillong, Nov 21: Writers and artistes from across the globe have converged in Shillong as the 5th Shillong Literary Festival 2025 was inaugurated at Ward’s Lake on Thursday.
Some of the most distinguished literary and cultural figures visiting the festival include Booker prize winner Banu Mushtaq, acclaimed Spanish author Francesc Miralles, Sanjoy Hazarika, Sam Dalrymple, Jerry Pinto, Prof Desmond Kharmawphlang, Malvika Banerjee, Sonal Jain, Dennis Laishram, Patricia Mukhim, Streamlet Dkhar and Valden John Pariat.
Inaugurating the festival, Commissioner & Secretary (Tourism) Vijay Kumar D said, “I’m sure the festival will be a huge success, and we look forward to the conversations, the interactions, and the authors who have come from far away.”
Terming Shillong Literary Festival a “festival of imagination”, author of international prize-winning ‘Heart Lamp’, Banu Mushtaq said, “The city of music and gentle hills has always lived in the Indian imagination as a place where stories breathe easily.”
“Let these next days be filled with conversations that surprise us, words that challenge us, and stories that stay long after we return home,” she added.
Sharing his bond with India and his experience in the region, Spanish author of internationally-acclaimed ‘Ikigai’, Francesc Miralles said, “I was a publisher and a translator of books; I studied German language and literature. But it was during my first trip to India in 1998 that I decided to become a writer. Without India, I would never have written books.”
Malvika Banerjee, curator of the festival, highlighted the distinct privilege of curating the Khasi and Garo programmes this year.
Day one of the festival also witnessed the launch of three books – ‘Wad Shwa La Ka Tynrai’ by Streamlet Dkhar, ‘Songs of Our People’ by Anurag Banerjee and ‘Is She Wise’ by Monica Thomas, Gladinia Pyrtuh and Anthony Durpui.
The day continued with an engaging session where Francesc Miralles, in conversation with Prof Desmond Kharmawphlang, discussed the Japanese way of life that inspired ‘Ikigai’.
This was followed by a conversation with Sanjoy Hazarika and Preeti Gill, exploring his journeys and the genesis of the Dibrugarh boat clinic project.
A reflective segment on myths and memory unfolded through “Puri – The Shape of Water,” after which a live drawing session by Dennis Laishram, readings by Valden John Pariat, and a discussion by Rosy Chamling and Hoihnu Hazel brought forward the richness of Himalayan folklore.
A special session on the bilingual children’s book ‘Is She Wise’ featured its authors in conversation with Moushumi Dey, highlighting Biate folktales and the wisdom of women.
Another session titled “Heal The World” brought together Jerry Pinto and Dr Neena Verma to discuss empathy, grief, mental health and palliative care.
A conversation between Sam Dalrymple and Cyril VD Diengdoh, IAS, explored the five partitions that shaped modern Asia, as detailed in Shattered Lands.
Later, Banu Mushtaq engaged with Patricia Mukhim on her award-winning collection ‘Heart Lamp’.
The evening closed with a session titled, “Making Khasi Literature Travel,” featuring Streamlet Dkhar, Smti Bandarilin Bairo, Alfidarie Kharsyntiew and Basilica Nongpluh, who reflected on translation, literary platforms and the future of Khasi literature.
The day ended with a soulful musical performance by artists of the Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project, celebrating the musical talent and creative vibrancy of Meghalaya’s youth.
