Lucknow, Sept 12: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the fifth edition of the Gomti Book Festival-2026 at the Lucknow University campus on Saturday. Organized by the National Book Trust, India, the nine-day literary event will run through September 20, bringing together 121 publishers across nearly 250 stalls. State officials affirmed that the festival aligns with ongoing efforts to strengthen book culture, educational engagement, and regional literary heritage throughout Uttar Pradesh.
Organizers declared that the exhibition features thousands of titles in Hindi, English, Urdu, Awadhi, and other Indian languages covering history, literature, biographies, art, and spirituality. Key dialogue sessions planned across the week will feature prominent personalities, including Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, folk singer Malini Awasthi, author Shantanu Gupta, and Padma Shri recipient Dr. Vidya Vindu Singh. Special pavilions led by the National Center for Children’s Literature will host workshops in Vedic mathematics, creative writing, and storytelling.
In addition to publisher stalls, the event features evening performances showcasing Uttar Pradesh’s cultural traditions, including Kathak, folk recitals, mushaira, and a dastangoi performance dedicated to Begum Akhtar. National Book Trust Director Yuvraj Malik maintained that the festival offers free entry and aims to engage youth through interactive competitions and digital initiatives like the National e-Library platform.
