Lucknow: The fifth edition of the Gomti Book Festival-2026 was grandly inaugurated at the Lucknow University campus on Saturday. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the festival. Organized by the National Book Trust, India, the festival will run from September 12 to 20. The 9-day festival will feature a book exhibition, literary dialogues, cultural programs, children’s activities, workshops, and technology-related events.
The event is significant amid the Yogi government's efforts to promote book culture, education, literature, and the dissemination of knowledge across the state.
Around 250 book stalls have been set up at the festival, with 121 publishers participating. Thousands of books in Hindi, English, Urdu, Awadhi and various other Indian languages are available for readers. A wide collection of books on literature, history, culture, biographies, art, education, spirituality, and contemporary subjects is available.
National Book Trust Program Officer Narendra Singh said NBT publishes books in around 70 languages and has a collection of approximately 10,000 books. Neeraj Arora, Managing Director of Divyansh Publication, said that books on several subjects are available at their stall. Hind Yug has also set up a stall here. Vinod Tiwari, Senior Sales Manager at Rajkamal Prakashan, said that they have around 5,000 books in Hindi.
The Gomti Book Festival is organizing dialogue sessions with renowned writers, experts, and personalities from various fields. These sessions will feature Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, renowned folk singer Malini Awasthi, author Shantanu Gupta and Padma Shri awardee Dr Vidya Vindu Singh, along with distinguished artists, writers and experts from various fields.
Keeping young book lovers in mind, a special Children’s Pavilion has been prepared by the National Center for Children’s Literature for all nine days. It will feature activities such as puppet shows, storytelling, Vedic mathematics, mindfulness workshops, clay art, poster making, calligraphy, a caricature studio, poetry recitation, mandala art and creative writing for children of different age groups.
Painting and quiz competitions will also be organized. A special dialogue session for children with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has also been proposed.
Every evening at the festival will feature programs showcasing Uttar Pradesh's rich traditions and cultural heritage. These will include a performance by Paras Band, a Kathak program, the Kathak dance-drama Raghuvansham by Birju Maharaj Kathak Sansthan, an evening of light music, a mushaira, folk performances and a theatrical presentation by Bharatendu Natya Akademi. A special dastangoi session dedicated to Begum Akhtar will also be a major attraction.
NBT Chairman Milind Marathe said that various programs are being organized across the country to mark 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram. As part of this, the National Book Trust has prepared a special exhibition, which is being displayed at NBT’s book events across the country.
The festival also includes arrangements to help children, youth, students, and teachers get acquainted with the National e-Library. Muskaan Kohli, Regional Engagement Specialist of the National e-Library, said that it is a digital library with more than 7,000 e-books available in over 22 languages.
Yuvraj Malik, Director, National Book Trust, India, said that the festival is part of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s campaign to promote libraries and book culture. Various activities and competitions will be organized daily for children and Gen Z, and entry to the festival will be free.
