The third edition of the Chinar Book Festival ended on Saturday at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar after nine days of book displays, literary sessions and public interactions that organisers said drew lakhs of visitors.

Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), the festival was held on the banks of Dal Lake and featured packed stalls, readers across age groups and appearances by guests including astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, actor Rakesh Bedi and filmmaker Imtiaz Ali.

NBT director Yuvraj Malik told Hindustan Times that “sustaining an event for nine days is unique for Kashmir”, describing the scale of participation as something that rarely happens in the Valley.

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Youth turns the page

Malik said the event was able to sustain momentum because of a strong local reading habit, especially among younger people.

He said that attracting audiences was not the main challenge and that Kashmir had a naturally “organic audience base”.

He also linked the turnout to a social shift in the Valley, saying around 70 per cent of visitors were girls and 30 per cent were boys.

Malik added that the festival had taken time to take shape, recalling that it took two years to secure the clearances needed for such a large literary gathering in Srinagar.

Conversations beyond the bookshelf

The festival also drew attention for the range of sessions held on its later days. Rising Kashmir reported that on day two, despite persistent rain, families, students and teachers turned up at SKICC for discussions on journalism, Urdu and Kashmiriyat, alongside children’s workshops and cultural performances.

One session, focused on journalism as storytelling, brought together senior journalists and students who discussed the evolution of print, television and digital news, newsroom ethics and the responsibilities of reporting in the digital age.

More than 4,000 students from schools, colleges and universities across Srinagar and adjoining districts took part that day, with over 2,500 children attending interactive sessions at the Children’s Corner.

Books meet classrooms and ambition

The eighth day featured an interactive quiz competition organised by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, Srinagar Chapter, to promote academic excellence and introduce students to cost and management accounting.

The festival was held under the theme “Milkar Padhenge, Milkar Badhenge” and the campaign “Say No to Drugs, Yes to Books”.

Chief Convenor Dr Amit Wanchoo highlighted that participation had crossed 5,500 schools, with daily footfall averaging more than 32,000 students and visitors.

The festival is one of the region’s largest literary and educational platforms, combining book exhibitions, literary interactions, educational sessions, cultural programmes, competitions and awareness campaigns.

Rewriting the Valley’s story

Malik also used the festival to push back against security concerns and one-dimensional portrayals of Kashmir.

He said that “security was largely a myth”, saying the festival had been completed without major incident across three editions. He argued that the event reflected a changing generational landscape in the Valley, with younger audiences growing up with different experiences and reading habits from those who lived through the years of militancy and curfews.

The Urdu section, he said, remained packed throughout the festival, underscoring the continuing relevance of translation and language in bringing books to wider audiences.

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FAQs

Q1: What is the Chinar Book Festival?

The Chinar Book Festival is an annual literary event in Srinagar organised by the National Book Trust that brings together publishers, authors, readers and students.

Q2: Where was the 2026 Chinar Book Festival held?

The third edition of the Chinar Book Festival was held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.