Srinagar: The third edition of the Chinar Book Festival will be held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here from July 18 to 26, bringing together readers, writers, publishers and artists from across the country.
Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), under the Union Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the District Administration Srinagar and the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), the nine-day festival will feature more than 200 publishers and book stalls showcasing titles in English, Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi and other Indian languages.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is scheduled to inaugurate the festival on July 18 in the presence of senior government officials and representatives of the organising agencies.
Ahead of the event, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo flagged off a “Shikarathon” on Dal Lake and unveiled the festival’s tagline, “Together We Read, Together We Lead” (Mil Kar Padhenge, Mil Kar Badhenge).
Speaking to reporters, Labroo described the festival as a platform for learning and creativity that would bring together authors, artists and personalities from fields including literature, cinema, science and the arts.
NBT Director Yuvraj Malik said the festival would host over 800 artists, authors, curators and performers over nine days, while Chief Convener Amit Wanchoo said students from across Jammu and Kashmir would participate in interactions with writers, scholars and innovators.
The festival will also host an Innovators’ Meet featuring student innovators from SKUAST-K, the Islamic University of Science and Technology and the University of Kashmir.
According to the organisers, the festival will include literary discussions, author interactions, book launches, workshops, storytelling sessions, children’s activities and cultural performances.
Among the highlights will be the release of 24 bilingual books developed through the Gojri Translation Workshop held during last year’s festival, besides the launch of the first set of novels produced under the Rajtarangini Samvad initiative inspired by Kalhana’s Rajtarangini.
Other publications to be released include The City of Seven Bridges, an English translation of Gauri Shankar Raina’s Hindi work Saat Pulon Ka Shahar, and An Indian Muslim Speaks by Dr Hafeezur Rahman.
The festival will also feature discussions on journalism, multilingual education, public policy, women’s leadership, environmental sustainability and Kashmir’s literary heritage, along with Mushairas, Sufiyana performances and cultural programmes.
A dedicated Children’s Corner, demonstrations of the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya digital library and a 5K Reading Run, organised as part of Shiksha Saptah 2026, are also part of the programme.
