Bangladesh Book Fair, Literary and Cultural Festival 2026 to be held in London on June 27-28

Bangla Mirror Desk:

Bangladesh Book Fair, Literary and Cultural Festival 2026 is being held in East London under the initiative of the Sammilita Sahitya O Sangskriti Parishad, UK, with the aim of developing the Bengali language, literature and culture and awakening cultural consciousness among the new generation.
It will be held on June 27th and 28th at the Brady Arts Centre in East London (Venue: 192-196 Hanbury Street, London, Ewan Five HU).
The book fair and festival will be open to visitors from 2 pm to 10 pm every day during this two-day event, the concerned authorities said in a press release.
This event, which plays an important role in the practice and development of Bengali language, literature and culture in the diaspora, has already generated great interest among literary figures, writers, artists, publishers and culture lovers. This year’s book fair has been planned with the aim of building bridges between literature, art, culture and the new generation.
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The press release also stated,
This year’s event has been organized in a more comprehensive, inclusive, and quality manner, in line with the organization’s initiative to build a participatory, transparent, and self-reliant organizational structure by prioritizing literature, art, and culture-focused activities after the new executive committee took office on January 1, 2025.
Ekushey Padak-winning educationist and thinker Rupa Chakraborty will be present as the chief guest of this year’s book fair.
The opening and special guest will be educator and Bengali language translator Dr. Martin Campchen.
In addition, Bangla Academy Award-winning poet Shamim Azad, renowned translator Anisuzzaman, and educationist and former Education Secretary Dr. Gaurang Mahanta will participate as special guests.
Various publishing houses from the UK and Bangladesh have confirmed their participation in the book fair. There will be new book exhibitions, sales, book launches, author-reader discussions, and various publishing-related events for readers.
Literary discussions, poetry readings, recitations, cultural performances, and special seminars will also be held.
This year’s festival, with the aim of engaging the new generation with the Bengali language and culture, has given special emphasis to the participation of young British Bangladeshis. Special discussions and presentations have been arranged to connect their creativity, professional experience and cultural identity.
A new addition to this year’s festival will be special events based on dance, drama, literature and film. A special theatrical production will be staged focusing on engaging the new generation of British Bangladeshis with the Bengali language, literature and culture.
In the literary segment, poet Shamim Azad and storyteller Sayem Chowdhury will discuss the possibility of presenting Bengali literature more broadly in the context of world literature.
One of the attractions of the book fair will be a special event titled “Poems by British Bengali Poets in the Voice of British Bengali Recitative Artists.”
The event, which was held for the first time last year, received widespread acclaim from the audience. This time too, the poems of the selected poets will be recited by UK reciters.
A special seminar has been organized during the festival, where eminent speakers and intellectuals will discuss various contemporary issues related to literature, language, culture and identity. The keynote address of the seminar will be presented by eminent translator Anisuzzaman.
The organization said that the aim of this event is not just to organize a book fair; rather, it aims to spread Bengali literature and culture throughout the UK, connect the new generation with Bengali heritage, and build a strong cultural bridge. Along with this, it also strengthens the practice of transparency, participatory leadership, and organizational self-reliance.
The United Literary and Cultural Council of the United Kingdom cordially invites all literature lovers, readers, writers, artists, cultural activists and well-wishers to participate in the Bangladesh Book Fair, Literary and Cultural Festival 2026.

Venue: Brady Arts Centre, 192-196 Hanbury Street, Whitechapel, London E1 5HU
Date: 27-28 June 2026
Time: 2pm to 10pm daily