The George Town Literary Festival (GTLF), organised by the Penang Institute, has unveiled key programme highlights and its main speaker line-up for its 2026 edition. Themed “Cosmopolises”, the festival will run from 27 to 29 November in George Town, Penang, maintaining its role as a premier platform for literary and cultural exchange.
Apart from selected workshops, the upcoming event remains mostly free and open to the public. GTLF 2026 will be hosted across two primary locations in George Town: Wisma Yeap Chor Ee, in partnership with Digital Penang, and Bangunan U.A.B., in collaboration with Think City.
This year’s theme, “Cosmopolises”, invites participants to reflect on cities as dynamic spaces for human interaction, shared experiences, and coexistence. Festival Director Dato’ Dr Ooi Kee Beng noted that the theme reflects the complexity of urban life shaped by contact and adaptation, encouraging audiences to explore how diverse communities live together and navigate differences.
The festival will feature 53 participating writers, poets, speakers, and contributors representing 20 countries and territories, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Palestine, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Prominent figures in the initial line-up include Tan Twan Eng, Hanna Alkaf, Bernice Chauly, Cecil Rajendra, Amir Muhammad, Alice Jolly, Jeremy Tiang, Ratih Kumala, and Xu Xi. Organisers noted that additional speakers may be added as preparations continue. The festival will retain its multi-format structure, comprising panel discussions, literary readings, book launches, practical workshops, student programmes, and fringe performances.
A key highlight of the opening ceremony will be “Letters of the Penang Diaspora”, a special reading session featuring personal letters from Penangites who have lived, studied, or worked abroad. Public submissions of letters sent home by overseas Penangites remain open for selection.
For student engagement, the festival will host “Languages I Live In: Student Short Films & Reflective Essays”. Supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Australian High Commission, selected student works exploring language, identity, and urban life will be showcased in a dedicated exhibition alongside a student reading session.
Participating institutions include St. Xavier’s Institution, SMJK Chung Ling, SMKA Al-Mashoor (Lelaki), and Prince of Wales Island International School.
Additionally, the grand prize winner of The Penang Monthly Short Story Prize 2026 will be announced during the festival following the recent closure of submissions.
GTLF 2026 is supported by Platinum Sponsor Greatech Technology and Gold Sponsor HSBC Malaysia, alongside various diplomatic missions, cultural bodies, and local partners. Official ticketing operations will continue through CloudJoi, with full schedule details and registration info to be released in the coming months.
