Panaji | 2 February 2026: An Ocean of Stories is set to unfold in Panaji as the Goa Book Festival 2026 takes place from 4 to 8 February 2026 at the Bhausaheb Dayanand Bandodkar Ground. Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, under the Ministry of Education, in association with the Government of Goa, Samarth Yuva Foundation and Lokmanya Cultural Foundation, the festival promises a vibrant five-day celebration of books, ideas and culture.
The festival will be inaugurated on 4 February by Shri Pramod Sawant, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, in the presence of Dr Ramesh Tawadkar, Hon’ble Minister for Art & Culture, Sports and Youth; Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Chairman, National Book Trust, India; Shri Prasad Lolayekar, IAS, Secretary (Education), Government of Goa; Dr Kiran Thakur, Chairman, Lokmanya Cultural Foundation; Shri Rajesh Pandey, Trustee and Chief Convenor, Pune Book Fair; and Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director, National Book Trust, India.
Addressing the media, Shri Yuvraj Malik said that in line with NBT’s mission to promote reading across India, efforts are underway to develop the Goa Book Festival at a national scale, comparable to major book fairs across the country. He emphasised that all events are free and open to the public, aimed at reconnecting society with the enduring power of books.
“With continued public support, the Goa Book Festival will celebrate Goa’s creativity and cultural richness and, in the next one to two years, position the state as a leading literary tourism destination in India,” he said.
The festival will host over 250 book stalls by more than 100 publishers, offering titles in English, Konkani, Marathi and other Indian languages. Entry is free, with visitors enjoying a 10% discount on all books. The festival will be open daily from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Visitors can also explore reading in the digital space through the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya app, a Ministry of Education initiative offering free access to over 6,000 digital books in 22 Indian languages and English.
A key highlight is the special exhibition “Goa: Stories of Light and Delight”, showcasing the works of legendary Goan artists Mario de Miranda and Shashi Shetye, whose illustrations for National Book Trust titles beautifully capture Goa’s landscapes, humour and cultural memory. The festival will also host exhibitions celebrating Vande Mataram @150 and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel @150.
Beyond books, the festival offers immersive experiences for all age groups. Children-centric activities include puppet storytelling, musical narration, clay art, cartoon-making, quizzes, folk dance, drawing workshops and interactive sessions designed to spark imagination and nurture a love for reading.
A dedicated Author’s Corner will host engaging literary sessions featuring an impressive line-up of writers, thinkers and creative voices, including Uday Mahurkar, Mrinal Kulkarni, Avika Gor, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Shantanu Gupta, Chandraprakash Dwivedi, Mohan Shete, Medha Khasgiwale, M. J. Akbar, Sumant Batra, Amol Parashar, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Sadanand Shridhar More and Acharya Prashant.
As books, conversations and culture converge, the Goa Book Festival 2026 invites readers to explore new worlds, meet favourite authors and celebrate the joy of reading.
