The Gomti Book Festival has opened at Lucknow University. For the next nine days, readers can move between more than 200 bookstalls, discover publishers from across India, and choose from a programme of literary and cultural events.
But what makes a book festival worth visiting is rarely the number of stalls alone. It is the chance to encounter a book you did not know you were looking for.
Early reports from the 2026 festival offer a glimpse of that possibility: students picking up works on India’s freedom movement, readers exploring Urdu poetry and Hindi literature, and visitors moving between books and live music. It is still too early to call these festival-wide trends. They do, however, show how varied a visit can be.
Gomti Book Festival 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Dates | 12–20 September 2026 |
| Timings | 11 am–8 pm daily |
| Venue | Lucknow University, Lucknow |
| Entry | Free |
| Organiser | National Book Trust, India, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government and Lucknow University |
| Scale | More than 120 publishers and over 200 bookstalls |
The National Book Trust (NBT) says the nine-day programme includes author conversations, panel discussions, book releases, children’s activities and cultural performances. Visitors can also explore the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, a digital library.
What Is Standing Out So Far?
Young readers are looking beyond familiar names
One opening-day report describes students choosing books on Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi, Savitribai Phule, B. R. Ambedkar and other figures associated with India’s freedom movement and social reform. Some wanted to move beyond what they had encountered in textbooks and engage more directly with these thinkers’ ideas.
That is an encouraging observation, though it should not be stretched into a claim about what all young visitors are buying. It suggests something more interesting: a book fair gives a reader room to follow an existing curiosity deeper. A short video about a historical figure may spark interest; finding several books about that person in one place can turn interest into reading.
If history attracts you, use the festival to compare perspectives. Look beyond a familiar biography. Examine a memoir, a work by the person themselves, and a later historian’s account. Even if you buy only one, browsing all three can help you choose more deliberately.
Readers have more than one literary tradition to explore
Early coverage also points to the range on offer: Urdu poetry and fiction, Hindi poetry, religious and spiritual writing, archaeology, history, theatre and the performing arts. A student interviewed by The Times of India described buying a Hindi poetry collection precisely because she wanted to read something different.
This is one reason to visit a festival even if you already buy books online. When you search online, you usually begin with a title, author or genre. At a bookstall, a subject you had not planned to explore can be waiting on the next shelf.
Readers comfortable in more than one language have an especially good opportunity. Try visiting a Hindi or Urdu publisher even if your shopping list is entirely in English. Look at a translation beside its original-language edition. Ask a bookseller which contemporary writer they would introduce to someone new to that tradition.
The programme extends beyond book shopping
NBT has planned literary discussions, children’s activities and cultural events across the festival. An opening-day report described a rock performance by Paras Band alongside students browsing books.
That combination is worth remembering when you plan your visit. You do not have to spend every minute inspecting shelves. An author session may lead you towards a new subject; a performance may give you a welcome pause before returning to the stalls. Families can make room for children’s activities rather than expecting younger visitors to browse at an adult’s pace.
Check the latest programme before you go, particularly if a specific session is important to you.
How to Make the Most of a Visit This Week
With over 200 stalls, seeing everything is an unlikely goal. A better approach is the one I suggested in my reader’s guide to Gomti Book Festival 2026:
Plan one-third. Explore one-third. Leave one-third to chance.
Use the planned portion for the books and publishers you already care about. Use the exploratory portion for an unfamiliar language, genre or small publisher. Keep the final portion open for whatever catches your attention.
Take a photograph of a cover and note the stall number when you are unsure about buying. After another hour of browsing, you will have a better sense of which books have stayed on your mind. Carry a reusable bag and, if possible, your own refillable water bottle.
Looking for a Thriller?
A fair of this size is also an opportunity to take a chance on an author whose name is new to you. Read the back cover, then the first few pages. Does the premise hold your attention? Do you want to know what happens next? That can tell you more about your likely enjoyment than a bestseller label.
I write thrillers at the crossroads of technology, relationships and moral choices. Love Swipe Blackmail begins with a dating app and a secret that becomes dangerous. Its sequel, Shadow Play: Love and Blackmail, takes the story into questions of deception, trust and the damage people can do when they understand another person’s vulnerabilities.
My books are available at the festival through Anecdote Publishing House, stall no. 71. If those themes interest you, look for its stall and ask for Love Swipe Blackmail and Shadow Play. You can also explore my novels here. I am not attending the festival, so this is an invitation to discover the books, not an announcement of an author appearance.
The Story Is Still Unfolding
As of 13 September, the festival has only just begun. Opening-day accounts tell us what a handful of visitors discovered; they cannot yet tell us which books will prove most popular over nine days, which sessions will draw the strongest response, or what unexpected themes may emerge.
That is part of the pleasure of an ongoing book festival. The programme is set, but each reader’s route through it remains unwritten.
If you are going this week, arrive with a few books or subjects in mind. Then give yourself permission to depart from the list. The book you remember most may be the one you had never heard of before you entered.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is Gomti Book Festival 2026?
It runs from 12 to 20 September 2026 at Lucknow University in Lucknow.
What are the timings and entry fee?
The festival is open from 11 am to 8 pm daily, and entry is free.
How many stalls are there?
NBT announced more than 200 bookstalls featuring publications from over 120 publishers.
What can visitors do besides buy books?
The announced programme includes literary sessions, author conversations, panel discussions, book releases, cultural events and children’s activities. Check the latest schedule for the day you intend to visit.
What books are attracting attention so far?
Opening-day reporting describes individual readers choosing books on freedom fighters and social reformers, alongside interest in Hindi poetry, Urdu literature, history and other subjects. These are early observations, not a ranking of the festival’s bestselling categories.
Can I meet Nitish Bhushan at the festival?
No. I am not attending. My novels are available through Anecdote Publishing House’s stall – stall no. 71, but there is no author appearance to plan around.