The Seventh Odisha State Book Festival will take place from December 6 to December 17, 2025, at the Unit-3 Exhibition Ground in Bhubaneswar. This event is organised by the Odia Language, Literature, and Culture Department.
This year, the festival will feature 550 stalls, with participation from nearly 250 publishers and booksellers, including six international publishing houses.
Two theme pavilions will be created: one dedicated to Odisha’s women freedom fighters and the other focused on the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The main entrance gate of the festival will be named after the eminent freedom fighter Maa Ramadevi, while the main stage will honour celebrated writer Ramakanta Rath, and the inner entrance gate will be named after poet Bhima Bhoi.
Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi will formally inaugurate the festival on December 6. The inaugural ceremony will also feature Booker Prize winner (2022) Shehan Karunatilaka, author of “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida,” as a guest. Additionally, Jnanpith Awardee and renowned writer Dr. Pratibha Ray will grace the occasion.
Culture Minister Shri Suryabanshi Suraj expressed that this year’s Odisha State Book Festival will emphasise freedom fighters and the literary contributions of eminent writers. He noted that the theme pavilions focusing on Odisha’s women freedom fighters and the life of Sardar Patel will be major attractions. The minister is confident that the festival will enrich Odisha’s reading culture and literary environment.
To enhance the visitor experience, a dedicated Coffee Corner will be set up for interactions between writers and readers, along with attractive food stalls and selfie points.
Numerous newspapers, government departments, the Sahitya Akademi (New Delhi), the National Book Trust, and various other organisations will have stalls at the festival.
The event is being organised with support from the Odisha Book Publishers and Sellers Association, the Odisha Publishers Association, the Dhauli Book Trust, the Bhubaneswar Book Fair Committee, and numerous publishers and booksellers from within and outside the state.
