Colombo International Book Fair 2026 Opens Today: Shehan Karunatilaka Inspires Young Writers, and Bring Your Own Bag
Image Source : frontpage.lk
Sri Lanka’s biggest book festival opens today, 25 September 2026, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, bringing publishers, authors, educators, students and readers together for ten days of literary discovery. The 27th Colombo International Book Fair will continue until 4 October, while a parallel message from the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) is encouraging visitors to make a practical environmental choice: bring a reusable, eco-friendly bag when purchasing books.
The combined emphasis on reading and responsible consumption gives this year’s fair a particularly constructive character. Books remain instruments of imagination, education and cultural continuity, yet the manner in which they are carried away from the exhibition grounds also presents an opportunity to reduce unnecessary plastic waste.
A major gathering for readers and publishers
Organised by the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association, the Colombo International Book Fair has become an important annual meeting place for the country’s literary community. Across the exhibition halls, readers are expected to encounter new releases, established works, school texts, children’s literature, academic publications, translations and books reflecting Sri Lanka’s diverse languages and traditions.
For families, the fair provides an opportunity to encourage children to browse independently, discover unfamiliar subjects and develop the habit of reading beyond prescribed school texts. For students and aspiring writers, it offers access to authors, publishers and other people involved in the creative process. For the wider public, the event represents a valuable cultural occasion in which learning and recreation are brought together in one accessible setting.
This year’s programme is also expected to place particular attention on young people and the development of new literary voices, with Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao partnering with Booker Prize-winning author Shehan Karunatilaka and New Zealand alumnus during the fair.
AI-generated illustration: a literary workshop representing the fair’s focus on young readers and emerging writers. Image: eLanka.
Shehan Karunatilaka to encourage the next generation
From 25 September to 4 October, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) and Shehan Karunatilaka will bring students, aspiring writers, educators and readers together through a series of literary engagements focused on storytelling, imagination and learning.
Karunatilaka is scheduled to participate in conversations with school and university students, sharing insights into his writing journey and discussing the role that reading, questioning and sustained creative practice have played in his work. A special creative writing workshop will also be held for the winners of the Education New Zealand Short Story Challenge.
The initiative is designed not merely as an author appearance, but as an opportunity for young people to engage directly with the discipline and uncertainty involved in developing original stories. By hearing how an established writer approaches ideas, language, character and structure, emerging writers can gain a more realistic understanding of the patience and curiosity required to transform an initial concept into a finished work.
Karunatilaka said:
“I’ve been fortunate to learn from teachers, mentors and artists who helped shape my writing. This collaboration lets me share some experiences with young writers and encourage them to keep reading, creating and questioning. If they’re dedicated to their craft, they may well discover new voices and unearth new stories.”
The author is best known internationally for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, which won the 2022 Booker Prize, and Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, which received the Commonwealth Prize. His work has been translated into 36 languages and extends across novels, short stories, children’s literature, journalism and screenwriting.
That breadth is significant because it demonstrates that literary careers need not be confined to one format. A young reader who begins with fiction may later explore journalism, screenwriting, children’s books or other forms of creative expression, provided that reading and observation remain central to the process.
Monika Chaudhary, Market Manager, Sri Lanka, ENZ, said:
“Stories have a unique ability to expand horizons, build empathy and encourage us to see the world differently. Through our partnership with Shehan, we hope to encourage young people to read widely, think independently, express themselves creatively and discover the opportunities that learning can unlock.”
The partnership also reflects a broader understanding of education, in which academic achievement is complemented by creativity, cultural understanding, communication and confidence. Reading develops curiosity and empathy, while writing requires organisation, critical thinking and the ability to communicate a perspective clearly. These capabilities remain valuable well beyond the classroom.
AI-generated illustration based on the Colombo International Book Fair theme
CEA calls for reusable bags
Alongside the literary programme, the Central Environmental Authority has asked members of the public to bring reusable, eco-friendly bags when purchasing books at the fair.
The appeal follows observations that visitors at past book fairs widely used plastic “sili sili” bags to carry their purchases. Although each individual bag may appear insignificant, the combined volume generated by a large public event can contribute substantially to plastic waste, particularly when thin bags are used for only a short period before being discarded.
Under Gazette Notification No. 2456/41 of 1 October 2025, issued under the Consumer Affairs Authority Act, plastic bags with handles cannot be given free of charge to consumers. If such bags are sold, the price must be clearly indicated on the receipt.
The regulations form part of Sri Lanka’s wider effort to reduce environmental damage associated with single-use plastics and polythene. In addition to plastic shopping bags, the sale, free distribution, display or use of single-use plastic straws, stirrers, plates, cups, spoons, forks, knives, chopsticks and lunch sheets made of polythene are prohibited by law.
AI-generated illustration: a reusable tote bag supporting a lower-waste book-buying experience. Image: eLanka.
The CEA has stated that agreements have already been reached with food vendors at the fair to ensure that prohibited plastics are not used at stalls within the premises. To raise awareness among vendors and consumers, the CEA and the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association will implement a special programme during the fair under the theme “Read with wisdom – Carry with wisdom.”
The message is straightforward and practical. Visitors who intend to purchase several books can bring a strong cloth tote, a backpack or another durable bag from home, thereby avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging and making it easier to carry books safely between stalls and vehicles.
Reading with wisdom and carrying with wisdom
The environmental appeal adds a useful dimension to the cultural experience of the fair. A book festival is fundamentally concerned with knowledge, imagination and the development of thoughtful citizens; reducing avoidable waste is therefore consistent with the wider values that reading seeks to encourage.
Children, in particular, can observe that environmental responsibility is not limited to large campaigns or formal lessons. It can also be expressed through small decisions made during ordinary activities, such as carrying a reusable bag, refusing unnecessary packaging and disposing of waste correctly.
The same principle applies to publishers and vendors. Clear communication at stalls, appropriate packaging practices and cooperation with the CEA can help ensure that the event’s environmental standards are understood and observed throughout the grounds. The success of the initiative will depend not only on regulations, but also on the participation of the public and the consistency of enforcement.
AI-generated illustration: reading, creative expression and environmental responsibility represented together. Image: eLanka.
For Sri Lankan families, educators and readers, the 27th Colombo International Book Fair offers a rich programme of books, conversations and creative possibilities. Shehan Karunatilaka’s engagement with young writers adds an important human dimension, showing how established authors can help emerging voices gain confidence, while the CEA’s reusable-bag appeal provides a simple way for visitors to support a cleaner public environment.
The fair’s central invitation is therefore twofold: read widely and participate thoughtfully. A reusable bag may be a modest preparation, but it can help ensure that the enjoyment of books is accompanied by respect for the surroundings in which the festival takes place.
Readers can find further community stories and cultural coverage through eLanka’s Articles section.
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