Guwahati, Jan 9: The third edition of the Dibrugarh University International Literature Festival (DUILF) will bring together more than 150 speakers, writers and poets from 25 countries in February, organisers announced on January 8.
The four-day festival, organised by Dibrugarh University in association with the Foundation for Culture, Arts and Literature (FOCAL), a Guwahati-based non-profit trust, will begin on February 18. The event aims to further strengthen India’s presence on the global literary map while fostering meaningful cultural exchange.
Acclaimed international and Indian authors expected to attend include Ann Morgan, author of A Year of Reading the World; award-winning Djiboutian novelist Abdourahman Waberi; South Korean author Kyung-sook Shin; renowned Indian writer Yesse Dorei Thongchi; celebrated Australian author Gideon Haigh; and Egyptian novelist Mai Khaled, among others.
In addition to writers, the festival will feature storytellers, performers and cultural practitioners. Organisers expect around 10,000 to 12,000 literary enthusiasts, including students and young readers, to attend the event.
DUILF 2026 will host author conversations, panel discussions and sessions covering a wide range of themes, including poetry, fiction, international affairs, films and sports. The programme will also include readings, workshops and community-led cultural experiences.
DUILF curator and chief coordinator Rahul Jain said the festival was envisioned as a platform where global literary voices could engage with the distinctive cultural imagination of Northeast India. “The 2026 edition deepens this dialogue by bringing Middle Eastern and North African narratives into conversation with young audiences, students and readers,” he said.
Author Ann Morgan, who will be attending the festival for the third time, said it is rare to witness such a diverse range of international voices engaging with young people in this way. She added that the warmth and hospitality of Assam help build lasting connections that open hearts and minds.
The organisers said the festival continues to position Dibrugarh as an important hub for literary and cultural exchange in the region.
