Srinagar, July 16: The third edition of the Chinar Book Festival will be held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, from July 18 to 26, bringing together readers, writers, publishers, artists and intellectuals from across the country for a nine-day celebration of literature, culture and ideas.

Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, under the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the District Administration Srinagar and the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), the festival will feature over 200 publishers and book stalls showcasing books in English, Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi and several other Indian languages.
The festival will be inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on July 18 in the presence of senior officials from the education departments, NBT and NCPUL.
Ahead of the event, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo flagged off a unique 'Shikarathon' on Dal Lake to promote reading culture. The festival's tagline, "Together We Read, Together We Lead" (Mil Kar Padhenge, Mil Kar Badhenge), was also unveiled.
Inviting people to participate, Labroo described the festival as more than a book fair, saying it would provide young people an opportunity to interact with eminent authors, artists, scientists and public figures from across the country.
NBT Director Yuvraj Malik said the festival has been envisioned as the region's largest literary and cultural event, featuring more than 800 artists, authors, performers and scholars over nine days.
Chief Convener Dr Amit Wanchoo said students from across Jammu and Kashmir would participate in literary interactions, while an Innovators' Meet would showcase research, start-ups and patented innovations from SKUAST-K, IUST and the University of Kashmir.
NCPUL Director Dr Shams Equbal said the festival would include dedicated Urdu literary sessions and Mushairas, encouraging young readers to engage with the language and its literary heritage.