The third edition of the Book Brahma Literature Festival (BBLF) will be held at the St. John’s Auditorium in Koramangala from August 14 to 23, bringing together literature and the performing arts.

Performances lineup

The opening seven days (August 14–20) will feature a lineup of performances, BBLF Book World, and a flea and handicrafts market.

The evenings of August 14, 15, and 16 will feature live musical performances by Shilpa Mudbi, Ramachandra Hadapad and Ensemble, and Sunidhi Ganesh with the Gig Man Live Band, respectively.

A conversation with filmmaker Natesh Hegde, followed by a special screening of his acclaimed film Vaghachipani, will be held on the evening of August 21. On the following day, August 22, a Sitar recital by Rafi Khan and Shafi Khan, and a Carnatic vocal concert by T.S. Satyavathi and ensemble will take place.

Hindustani classical concert by Aniruddh Aithal and ensemble will be held on the morning of August 23, and in the evening, Shri Jnanashakti Subrahmanyaswamy Kripaposhita Yakshagana Troupe

Literary sessions over three days

The festival’s signature literary programme will run from August 21 to 23, bringing together readers, writers, and thinkers from across India for three days of conversations, debates, and literary discovery.

Spread across nine parallel venues, the festival will host more than 200 curated sessions over three days. More than 400 writers, intellectuals, artists, publishers, booksellers, and subject experts representing Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and English literature will participate in discussions spanning literature, society, culture, translation, publishing, and the arts. The complete list of speakers and programme details is available on the event website.

Admission to all literary sessions, cultural performances, discussions, exhibitions, and festival activities across the 10 days is free of charge.

Shortlist of book prize

Meanwhile, Book Brahma Foundation, in association with Bookworm, has announced the shortlist for the Book Brahma–Bookworm English Fiction of the Year 2026.

The shortlisted titles are: Sakina’s Kiss by Vivek Shanbhag, translated from Kannada by Srinath Perur; The Second Book of Prophets by Benyamin, translated from Malayalam by Ministhy S.; Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by Janani Kannan; The Dark Hours of the Night by Salma, translated from Tamil by G.J.V. Prasad; A Woman Burnt by Imayam, translated from Tamil by G.J.V. Prasad. The winner will be announced at the festival.

Those wishing to attend BBLF are encouraged to register at www.bookbrahmalitfest.com. 

Published - July 30, 2026 08:20 pm IST