<p>Bengaluru: Renowned NASA astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Sunita Williams, is set to be a key speaker at the ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) in 2026.</p>.<p>The announcement was made by the festival organisers. The four-day event is scheduled to be held from January 22 to 25, 2026, along the iconic Kozhikode beachfront. Williams, a global icon of space exploration with over 300 days in orbit and multiple spacewalk records, is expected to share her experiences on resilience, leadership, and the pursuit of discovery.</p>.<p>“Sunita Williams represents the courage to explore the unknown,” said Ravi Deecee, Chief Facilitator of KLF. “Her participation will inspire audiences across generations.”</p>.Kerala pastor among 8 held in Maharashtra over religious conversion bid; CM Vijayan slams move.<p>The 2026 edition will feature Germany as the guest nation. The festival, hosted in India’s first UNESCO ‘City of Literature’, is expected to draw over 500 speakers.</p>.<p>The star-studded lineup includes: Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah, Olga Tokarczuk, and Abhijit Banerjee; Olympian Ben Johnson; business leader Indra Nooyi; artist and illustrator Cheyenne Olivier; writer Gabriela Ybarra; economist Arvind Subramanian; linguist and author Peggy Mohan; author and columnist Shobhaa De; writer and former diplomat Amish Tripathi; actor and singer Piyush Mishra; curator Helen Molesworth; writer and activist Banu Mushtaq; writer and journalist Deepa Bhasthi; celebrated essayist Pico Iyer; renowned environmental activist Vandana Shiva; Jnanpith award-winning writer Pratibha Ray; eminent historian Romila Thapar; acclaimed novelist Anita Nair; noted Telugu author Volga; conservation biologist Neha Sinha; actor and social commentator Prakash Raj; author-diplomat Pavan K Varma; author, parliamentarian, and public intellectual Shashi Tharoor; Indian comedian Vir Das; and Tamil film director and activist Pa Ranjith, among many others.</p>.<p>Together, these voices span literature, science, sports, economics, politics, cinema, art, and culture.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Renowned NASA astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Sunita Williams, is set to be a key speaker at the ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) in 2026.</p>.<p>The announcement was made by the festival organisers. The four-day event is scheduled to be held from January 22 to 25, 2026, along the iconic Kozhikode beachfront. Williams, a global icon of space exploration with over 300 days in orbit and multiple spacewalk records, is expected to share her experiences on resilience, leadership, and the pursuit of discovery.</p>.<p>“Sunita Williams represents the courage to explore the unknown,” said Ravi Deecee, Chief Facilitator of KLF. “Her participation will inspire audiences across generations.”</p>.Kerala pastor among 8 held in Maharashtra over religious conversion bid; CM Vijayan slams move.<p>The 2026 edition will feature Germany as the guest nation. The festival, hosted in India’s first UNESCO ‘City of Literature’, is expected to draw over 500 speakers.</p>.<p>The star-studded lineup includes: Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah, Olga Tokarczuk, and Abhijit Banerjee; Olympian Ben Johnson; business leader Indra Nooyi; artist and illustrator Cheyenne Olivier; writer Gabriela Ybarra; economist Arvind Subramanian; linguist and author Peggy Mohan; author and columnist Shobhaa De; writer and former diplomat Amish Tripathi; actor and singer Piyush Mishra; curator Helen Molesworth; writer and activist Banu Mushtaq; writer and journalist Deepa Bhasthi; celebrated essayist Pico Iyer; renowned environmental activist Vandana Shiva; Jnanpith award-winning writer Pratibha Ray; eminent historian Romila Thapar; acclaimed novelist Anita Nair; noted Telugu author Volga; conservation biologist Neha Sinha; actor and social commentator Prakash Raj; author-diplomat Pavan K Varma; author, parliamentarian, and public intellectual Shashi Tharoor; Indian comedian Vir Das; and Tamil film director and activist Pa Ranjith, among many others.</p>.<p>Together, these voices span literature, science, sports, economics, politics, cinema, art, and culture.</p>