Where the Pen Meets the Polity, The Kala Literature Festival 2026 and the Confluence of Creativity and Governance
In the heart of New Delhi, at the prestigious Civil Services Officers’ Institute (CSOI), a unique gathering took place over two days in February 2026. It was not a bureaucratic conclave, though senior civil servants were present. It was not a business summit, though industrialists participated. It was not an academic conference, though scholars and authors shared the stage. It was all of these and none of these. It was the Kala Literature Festival 2026—a vibrant confluence of literature, art, governance, and social dialogue.
Organized by Kala—Krazy About Literature and Arts, an initiative of Sanjay Chandra, the festival has rapidly grown from a passion project into a meaningful cultural movement. This year’s edition brought together a remarkable cross-section of Indian society: IAS officers, painters, poets, industrialists, cultural practitioners, and emerging writers. The theme, implicit in every discussion, was the vital role of storytelling in shaping society, deepening empathy, and amplifying new aspirations.
The Inaugural Vision: Literature and Institutional Life
The festival opened with Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, a senior IAS officer, alongside noted painter-poets Vishnu Nagar, Ashok Bhowmik, and Hemraj. Dwivedi’s inaugural address set the tone for the two days that followed. He spoke of literature’s unique ability to nurture empathy and reflection—qualities that are essential not only for artists but also for those in institutional and public life.
This connection between literature and governance is often overlooked. In a world that prizes technical expertise, data-driven decision-making, and administrative efficiency, the softer skills of empathy and reflection can seem secondary. Dwivedi’s presence—and his message—was a reminder that the best administrators are not just efficient managers but also thoughtful human beings, capable of understanding the stories of the people they serve.
Sanjay Chandra, the founder of Kala, spoke of the organization’s journey. What began as a personal passion for literature and arts has evolved into a platform that nurtures emerging voices and fosters cultural dialogue. Chandra reiterated Kala’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable society—a mission that literature, with its power to bridge divides and build understanding, is uniquely suited to advance.
The Second Day: Democracy, Business, and Creativity
The second day began with Ashok Lavasa, a retired IAS officer and former Election Commissioner, alongside industrialists Sushil Kumar Sayal and HKL Magu. Lavasa spoke about literature’s role in sustaining democratic values and informed societies. In an age of misinformation and polarisation, the ability to read critically, think independently, and engage with diverse perspectives is more important than ever. Literature, Lavasa suggested, is not an escape from reality but a way of engaging with it more deeply.
Sayal and Magu brought a different perspective, stressing the importance of collaboration between the business and creative communities. In the conventional view, these are separate worlds—one driven by profit and efficiency, the other by expression and exploration. But the festival’s premise is that they are, in fact, deeply interconnected. A vibrant creative sector enriches society, attracts talent, and even drives economic innovation. Conversely, a thriving economy provides the resources and stability that allow creativity to flourish. The dialogue between business and art is not a luxury; it is a necessity.
The Launches: New Books, New Voices
A key highlight of the festival was the launch of two books commissioned by Kala. The first, Light of Spring, is an anthology of short stories written by talented emerging authors. The second, About Literature and Arts, is a celebration of the transformative power of literature and its impact on society.
These launches are significant not just for the books themselves, but for what they represent. Kala is not merely a festival organizer; it is a publisher and mentor, actively investing in new voices and giving them a platform. In a literary landscape often dominated by established names and commercial blockbusters, this commitment to nurturing emerging talent is both rare and valuable.
The anthology format is particularly important. Short stories offer a gateway for new writers to find their audience and for readers to discover new voices. By bringing together multiple authors in a single volume, Kala amplifies their collective impact and introduces them to a wider readership.
The Collaboration: Let’s Talk
A special collaboration with Let’s Talk, a peer-powered wellness and conservation platform, added another dimension to the festival. Co-founders Pooja Chandra and Vivek Pathak spoke about the relationship between literature and well-being. “Literature ignites thought, while conversation gives it momentum—together fostering understanding and emotional well-being,” they observed.
This insight is worth dwelling on. Reading is often a solitary act, but its effects ripple outward. A book can spark ideas, challenge assumptions, and stir emotions. But those ideas need an outlet—a space for conversation, reflection, and connection. Let’s Talk provides that space, creating opportunities for people to discuss what they’ve read and how it relates to their lives. The collaboration between Kala and Let’s Talk is a recognition that literature is not complete until it is shared.
The Audience: Emerging Voices and New Aspirations
Throughout the two days, the festival was filled with emerging writers, aspiring poets, and young artists. They came to listen, to learn, and to connect. For many, the opportunity to interact with established authors, senior civil servants, and industry leaders was invaluable. It demystified the world of literature and publishing, showing that it is not an inaccessible realm but a community that welcomes new participants.
This focus on emerging voices is central to Kala’s mission. As Sanjay Chandra noted in his closing remarks, the vision is of Kala evolving into a sustained cultural platform—one that continues to mentor new voices, publish meaningful work, and keep dialogue at the heart of creative life. The festival is not an end in itself but a means to a larger goal: building a more vibrant, inclusive, and thoughtful literary culture.
The Venue: CSOI as a Cultural Space
The choice of venue is itself noteworthy. The Civil Services Officers’ Institute is a symbol of India’s administrative establishment—a place where bureaucrats gather, where the machinery of governance is oiled and maintained. To host a literature festival there is to make a statement: that culture and governance are not separate spheres, but interconnected domains. The civil servants who attended were not there as officials, but as readers, writers, and thinkers. The walls of the institution opened to admit the wider world of creativity and dialogue.
The Broader Significance: Culture and Aspiration
The Kala Literature Festival 2026 is part of a broader trend: the proliferation of literature festivals across India. From Jaipur to Bengaluru, from Kerala to the Northeast, these festivals have become important fixtures on the cultural calendar. They reflect a growing appetite for literary engagement, a hunger for ideas and stories that goes beyond the merely informational.
But Kala’s festival has a distinctive character. Its emphasis on the intersection of literature with governance and public life gives it a unique flavour. It asks not just “what is good writing?” but “what is writing for?” It probes the social role of literature, its capacity to shape citizens, inform policy, and hold power to account.
In a time of rapid change and deep uncertainty, these questions are urgent. The stories we tell ourselves about who we are and where we are going matter. They shape our aspirations, our fears, and our collective imagination. Festivals like Kala’s are spaces where those stories can be told, heard, and debated.
Conclusion: A Platform with Purpose
As the festival closed, Sanjay Chandra shared his vision for the future: Kala as a sustained cultural platform, one that continues to mentor new voices, publish meaningful work, and keep dialogue at the heart of creative life. It is an ambitious vision, but the 2026 festival demonstrated that it is achievable.
The Kala Literature Festival 2026 stood not merely as a literary event, but as a powerful statement on the role of culture in shaping aspirations, building empathy, and giving India’s emerging storytellers a stage to be heard. In the halls of the CSOI, amid the paintings and the poetry, the conversations and the books, something important happened: culture and governance met, and found they had much to say to each other.
Q&A: Unpacking the Kala Literature Festival 2026
Q1: What makes the Kala Literature Festival distinctive compared to other literary events in India?
A: The Kala Literature Festival’s distinctive character lies in its emphasis on the intersection of literature with governance and public life. While many literary festivals focus purely on books and authors, Kala deliberately brings together senior civil servants, industrialists, and cultural practitioners alongside writers and poets. This creates a unique dialogue between the worlds of creativity and administration, exploring how literature can inform policy, nurture empathy in institutional life, and contribute to democratic values. The festival asks not just “what is good writing?” but “what is writing for?”
Q2: Why is the participation of civil servants like Manoj Kumar Dwivedi and Ashok Lavasa significant?
A: Their participation signals a recognition that literature and reflective thinking are valuable not only for artists but also for those in public life. Dwivedi spoke of literature’s ability to nurture empathy and reflection within institutions—qualities that are essential for good governance but often overlooked in favour of technical efficiency. Lavasa connected literature to the sustenance of democratic values and informed societies. Their presence suggests that the administrative establishment sees value in engaging with culture, and that the boundaries between the bureaucratic and the creative are more porous than often assumed.
Q3: What role does Kala play in nurturing emerging literary voices?
A: Kala is not just a festival organizer; it is a publisher and mentor actively investing in new talent. The launch of two commissioned books—Light of Spring (an anthology of short stories) and About Literature and Arts—demonstrates this commitment. By publishing emerging authors and giving them a platform alongside established figures, Kala helps bridge the gap between aspiration and opportunity. Founder Sanjay Chandra’s vision is for Kala to evolve into a sustained cultural platform that continues to mentor new voices and publish meaningful work.
Q4: What was the significance of the collaboration with Let’s Talk?
A: The collaboration with Let’s Talk, a wellness and conservation platform, highlighted the connection between literature and emotional well-being. Co-founders Pooja Chandra and Vivek Pathak noted that “literature ignites thought, while conversation gives it momentum—together fostering understanding and emotional well-being.” This partnership recognized that reading is not complete until it is shared; that ideas need spaces for conversation and reflection. It added a wellness dimension to the literary experience, emphasizing that engagement with literature can contribute to mental and emotional health.
Q5: What is the broader cultural significance of literature festivals like Kala in contemporary India?
A: Literature festivals have proliferated across India in recent years, reflecting a growing appetite for literary engagement and a hunger for ideas beyond the merely informational. Festivals like Kala serve as spaces where stories can be told, heard, and debated—where the narratives that shape our aspirations and collective imagination can be examined. In a time of rapid change and deep uncertainty, these spaces are vital. They foster the kind of reflective, empathetic, and critical thinking that democratic societies need to thrive. Kala’s distinctive focus on the dialogue between culture and governance adds a particularly important dimension to this broader trend.
