New Delhi, October 09, 2026: The inaugural Corbett Literature Festival, Stories from a living landscape concluded at The Golden Tusk with a day of conversations on conservation, natural history, the Ganga and Ramganga rivers and the craft of writing about the wild.
“The success of this first-of-its-kind initiative has demonstrated how a literary perspective can present a destination in an entirely different light. Stories of Corbett and the wild are inherently captivating. It was heartening to see so many luminaries from diverse fields come together to showcase the unique and fascinating facets of Corbett. We look forward to organising many more editions of the festival in the years ahead,” said Saket Badola, Field Director, Corbett Lit Festival 2026.
“Hosting the final day of the first Corbett Literature Festival has been a privilege. As people who live and work in this landscape, we believe the future of tourism here depends on protecting what makes Corbett special, and on telling its stories well. We are proud to have helped bring these voices together and hope the festival returns for many editions to come. We are also extremely grateful to all the Speakers who accepted the invite and graced the festival with their presence and establishing it as one of its kind festival” said Anirudh Lakhotia, Director, Ivory Destinations, which owns The Golden Tusk.
The final day opened at noon with a Wildlife Photography Exhibition at Jungle Grill, The Golden Tusk, curated by Sriroopa Raheja Bajaj. The exhibition brought together striking images of Corbett’s wildlife and wild landscapes, capturing moments of beauty, behaviour and fragility from the forest. The first session, Corbett: Seen & the Unseen was a visual journey into the wild, revealing the beauty, fragility and stories of the natural world with Ajay Suri in conversation with Vikramjit Singh Bal.
The event also saw a special appearance by acclaimed playback singer Jubin Nautiyal, who hails from Uttarakhand. Known for chart-topping songs, Nautiyal spoke warmly about being part of the festival in his home state. “I am truly happy to be here at the first Corbett Literature Festival. Uttarakhand is my home, and Corbett is one of its greatest treasures. A festival like this, which brings together stories, music, culture and conservation, will help more people discover the beauty of our state and understand why we must protect it. I hope it becomes an annual celebration,” said Jubin Nautiyal.
In the session, Wild Histories, Living Landscapes, Raza Kazmi and Dr Manoj Kumar discussed natural history, conservation and stories from landscapes shaped by both wildlife and people.
The Conservation Imperative turned to protection, people and coexistence in the Corbett landscape with Dipankar Ghose in conversation with Dr Samir Sinha and Praveen Singh Pratapsingh Pardeshi.
Rivers of Faith & Forest: The Ganga and Ramganga explored how the two rivers sustain both sacred traditions and vital wildlife habitats and what modern development means for their future. Ramesh Bhatt, Chinmay Shah and Dr Anjali Capila were in conversation with moderator Sumantha Ghosh.
The final session, The Wild Word: Writing Nature in Fact and Fiction, brought Gargi Rawat in conversation with Prerna Singh Bindra, Stephen Alter and Richard Kerridge on how fiction and non-fiction shape our understanding of the wild.
The festival closed with a gala dinner on the Plumeria Lawn, at The Golden Tusk, featuring Instrumental retro collective by Murad Ali Khan and live painting of Corbett landscape.
Over three days, the festival brought together more than 30 writers, conservationists, historians, photographers and storytellers across over 20 sessions at various properties at Corbett.
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
