The first chapter · 2027
Kollam International
Literature Festival
Where words meet the world.
Eight arms of water. One embrace of words.
31 December 2026 – 4 January 2027Kollam, Kerala
- Literature
- Cinema
- Music
- Theatre
- Art
- Ideas & Society
- Children's
- Book Fair
- Food Festival
01 The festival
05Days by the lake
Some stories you read.
Others, you live.
The Kollam International Literature Festival is a new gathering of writers, readers, filmmakers, musicians, artists and thinkers on the shore of Ashtamudi Lake. Its first edition runs across five days, from the last night of 2026 into the first days of 2027.
Step into the festival- Speakers
- 100+
- Audience
- 10,000+
- Strands
- 09
- Venues
- 03
02 Voices
Voices without
borders.
Proposed line-up · participation subject to confirmation
- M. MukundanWriter · Malayalam literature
- ZachariaWriter · Malayalam literature
- Sara JosephNovelist · Malayalam literature
- Subhash ChandranNovelist · Malayalam literature
- S. HareeshNovelist · Malayalam literature
- Santhosh EchikkanamWriter · Screenwriter
- Akhil P. DharmajanNovelist · New voices
- Sri MSpiritual teacher · Author
03 Find your way in
One shore.
Many ways in.
01 / Literature & ideas
Masters, unscripted.
Readers, up close.Novelists, poets, historians and thinkers in open conversation, face to face with the people who read them.
Readings · Conversations · Book fair
02 / Music & evenings
When the sun sets,
the lake sings.Music, food and stories by the water after dark, and a countdown into 2027 on New Year’s Eve.
03 / Youth & new voices
This stage
is yours.Poetry slams, open mics, reels and rap, and your favourite authors up close.
04 / Theatre, cinema & art
Stories you
walk into.Khasakkinte Ithihasam on stage, films that began as books, and art by the water.
A place for every curious mind
Stories. People. Places.
Possibilities.
Five days in which a city reads, argues, sings and celebrates, together by the water.
Why Kollam04 A day at KILF
From first light
to the last song.
An indicative day. The full programme will set the times.
See the programme01 / Morning
Conversations and readings
Writers and thinkers on the main stages, with time for your questions.
02 / Afternoon
Book fair and workshops
New releases, signed copies, and hands-on sessions for young and old.
03 / Evening
Stage and screen
Theatre, films that began as books, and the youth stage at full volume.
04 / Night
Music and food by the lake
Kollam’s kitchens and live music by the water, until the last song.
Ashramam Maidan · 1, 2 & 3 January 2027
A novel by O. V. Vijayan · 1969
ഖസാക്കിന്റെ
ഇതിഹാസം
Khasakkinte Ithihasam
Staged by Deepan Sivaraman
ഖസാക്കിന്റെ
ഇതിഹാസം
Khasakkinte Ithihasam
KILF 2027 · On stage
05 Signature theatre
ProposedKhasakkinte
Ithihasam.
O. V. Vijayan’s legendary 1969 novel, staged by director Deepan Sivaraman.
- When
- 1, 2 & 3 January
- Where
- Ashramam Maidan
- Tickets
- From ₹1,500
Not a play you watch — a world you walk into.
Theatre + Festival Pass: ₹1,600 for the play and all five days.
31 December 2026 – 4 January 2027
Five days. One shore.
Kollam, Kerala
- Sreenarayana Guru Cultural Centre
- 8 Point Art Cafe
- Ashramam Maidan