PCI to Host Three-Day Literary Festival from Oct 24 to 26
The Literary Festival and Book Fair 2026 will feature discussions on media trust, communalism, digital journalism, photography and multiple book launches
- Three-day festival opens at PCI Lawns
- Media trust and digital journalism headline discussions
- Multiple book launches scheduled across three days
- Book fair open to the general public
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 24th Oct: The Press Club of India (PCI) is hosting its three-day Literary Festival and Book Fair 2026 from October 24 to 26 at the PCI Lawns in New Delhi, bringing together journalists, authors and speakers for discussions on media, literature and contemporary issues. The book fair is open to the public.
The festival, organised with Hetch Foundation, opened on Saturday with an inauguration ceremony scheduled from 11 am to 11:50 am. The programme includes panel discussions, book launches and sessions exploring the changing role of journalism in the digital age.
The opening day features a panel discussion on “Trust Deficit in Media: Way Forward” from noon to 1 pm. Speakers include Dhanya Rajendran, Rajdeep Sardesai, Rita Krocha and Ashutosh, with Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty as moderator.
Four books are scheduled for launch on October 24: Smart Citi Ke Vassi by Ravinder Kumar, The Delhi Network by Abhishek Prasad, Roar of the Lion – Story of Sher-e-Naushera by Ranjan K Singh, and A Complete Guide to News Reporting by Melwyn Williams. A later session will examine “A Journalist’s Work in the Internet Age,” featuring Apar Gupta, G. Sampath, Manisha Pande and Priyanshi Sharma, moderated by Jahnavi Sen.
On October 25, discussions will focus on communalism and media, followed by a session on regional media in the digital age. The day’s programme also includes launches of Beyond Biryani – The Making of a Globalised Hyderabad by Dinesh C. Sharma, Kaho Kalidas by Yugal Joshi, Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam: Empowering the Marginalised by A U Asif, and The Advent of a Statesman: Bihar Has It Never So Good! by Gyan Bhadra.
The final day, October 26, will feature a panel discussion on news still photography in the age of social media, with Binoo John, Paroma Mukherjee, S N Sinha and Nitin Rai. Book launches include Hinsa, Ahinsa aur Bhagat Singh by Ashok Pandey, Sangeet Dharohar by Shashiprabha Tiwari, and Does the PM Care? Doesn’t Really, co-written by Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Ayaskant Das.
A road safety session and closing ceremony are scheduled for the final afternoon, with the valedictory address by PCI Secretary General Afzal Imam.
The festival offers a platform for conversations on journalism, public discourse, literature and the challenges facing media in a rapidly changing information landscape.
