Darjeeling Arts and Literature Festival 2026 to Feature 80+ Authors and Creators

The inaugural Darjeeling Arts and Literature Festival runs November 14–20, 2026, featuring 80+ creative voices, manuscript pitches, film screenings and mentorship programmes.
on Oct 21, 2026

Art and Literature Festival to Unite Writers, Film Makers and Publishers in Darjeeling 2026

The Darjeeling region is all set to organize the first ever Art and Literature Festival 2026, which is scheduled for the span of seven days. It would be an event where authors, film makers, artists, actors, and publishers will participate. The Art and Literature Festival is to happen at the venue Chowrasta, on November 14 - 20, 2026, with over 80 participants taking part in 50 plus discussions and talks as well as films and dialogues with film makers.

Organized by Sujit Kumar Singh, the objective of the festival is to unite youth from the hills of Darjeeling with professionals in the field of publishing, cinema and creative industries.

Manuscript Pitching Session for Introducing New Writers to Publishing Houses

One such highlight of the festival will be its story pitching sessions where young writers can pitch their stories and manuscripts directly to literary agents and publishers.

Some of the participating publishing houses are likely to be Penguin India, Rupa Publications, Bloomsbury, Om Books International and The Book Bakers Literary Agency. Manuscript sessions are organized with the view of exposing budding writers to the industry, publishing options and professionals.

These literary sessions are being supported by The Book Bakers Literary Agency. The founder and CEO of The Book Bakers, Suhail Mathur, says that it is equally important to unearth new talent and get established writers noticed.

Literature and Cinema Combine

As the link between literature and cinematic adaptation is concerned, the program includes literature and films. It is expected that there will be no less than 10 film screenings and interactions with the filmmakers on how stories are transformed from books into movies.

Among the participants of the program are filmmaker and author Soham Shah who will present his new book ONE along with the movie Kartam Bhugtam. Also participating in the program are horror writer Neil D'Silva and best-selling author Abhirup Dhar.

Conversations with writers and filmmakers and other creative people are planned in the program.

Mentorship Programs & Activities for Youth

Apart from the discussions on literature and films, the DALF will have mentoring programs which will provide career guidance to youth for exploring options in the creative industry.

It is estimated that more than 20 schools and institutions from the hills will be participating in this event. Storytelling events for children, healthcare camps, and a gaming zone will also be added to the list of activities.

Deepthi Talwar, Executive Editor, Penguin India has appreciated the move to make stories from the Himalayas reach a larger audience.

Providing a Larger Audience for the Himalayan Tales

For founder and festival director, Sujit Kumar Singh, the.DALF is an attempt to provide the next generation of creative talents with chances in Darjeeling. After having invested over twenty years into his career in radio, TV, movies, and publishing in Mumbai, Singh has returned to Darjeeling with all his experience of the industries that he worked in.

The festival also received backing from the business people and organizations involved in literary, cultural, and community activities.

As an event uniting publishing, cinema, mentoring, and education, the first Darjeeling Arts and Literature Festival aims to create a platform for the local tales to find their larger audience, and for the young creators to get in touch with the creative industries.

The festival will take place from November 14 to 20, 2026, at Chowrasta, Darjeeling.