The Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival (SALF) will return to Gangtok from October 28 to 30, 2024, at Ridge Park. The three‑day event will bring together writers, poets, artists and cultural practitioners from Sikkim, the Northeast and beyond for discussions, performances, workshops and other literary and cultural programmes.
The dates were announced at a press conference in Gangtok attended by local leaders, including MLA Delay Namgyal Barfungpa, MLA Aditya Golay Tamang, Student Welfare Board chairman Sonam Chopel Sherpa, Culture Department chairperson Bhim Kumari Sharma and Teamwork Arts senior vice‑president Syed Shams Jawaid.
SALF is an initiative of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, presented by the Students’ Welfare Board and the Education Department of the Government of Sikkim, and produced by Teamwork Arts. Admission is free and the festival is open to the public.
Featured participants include Chuden Kabimo, Mamang Dai, Nawaraj Parajuli, Ranjit Hoskote, William Dalrymple, Yuvan Aves, Guru T. Ladakhi and Stephen Alter. Sessions will cover poetry, identity, memory, the Himalayan landscape and life in border regions, with highlights such as “Echoes of Verse” featuring Mamang Dai and Ranjit Hoskote, and “These Hills Called Home” with Chuden Kabimo and Stephen Alter.
Youth engagement is a key focus, with opportunities for young audiences and emerging writers to interact with established authors, artists and thinkers. Workshops for children and other age groups will be facilitated by local creative organisations Tangible Tangerines and Mind Matters.
The 2026 edition is expected to broaden its scope to include discussions on climate change, wildlife conservation, biodiversity, history, culture, ethnicity, architecture, folklore, mental health, Northeast literature, fiction and young adult literature, aiming to connect Sikkim’s literary and cultural work with national and international voices.
