THE Kuala Lumpur Reading Festival (KLRF) 2026 will take place on June 27 and 28 at GMBB Kuala Lumpur, bringing together Malaysia’s multilingual reading communities for a two-day celebration of books, literature and reading culture.
Carrying the theme “Joy of Missing Out: A Celebration of Reading for the Distracted Generation”, the festival aims to encourage people to disconnect from the constant demands of the digital world and rediscover the value of focused reading, reflection and meaningful human connection.
The festival will feature more than 30 exhibitors representing Malaysia’s Malay, Chinese and English-language literary communities, including booksellers, publishers, writers, translators and reading groups.
More than 20 programmes have been planned throughout the weekend, including author talks, literary conversations, workshops, book clubs, open mic sessions and industry dialogues exploring the country’s diverse literary landscape.
Among the festival’s featured attractions are The Chill Project, a phone-free immersive experience designed to encourage participants to unplug from technology, a 24-Hour Bookstore experience presented by BooKu and Zontiga, Poetry On The Spot, Whisper Corner and Book Walk Before Sunrise, a communal walk intended to promote mindfulness and presence.
The programme will also include discussions on independent publishing, multilingual bookselling and literary translation, highlighting the role these sectors play in strengthening Malaysia’s reading culture.
Featured speakers include filmmaker, writer and publisher Amir Muhammad, as well as award-winning novelist Gong Wan Hui.
The organisers said the festival seeks to provide a common space where readers, publishers, booksellers and literary communities can come together despite operating in different linguistic and cultural spheres.
“Kuala Lumpur does not lack readers, bookstores, publishers or literary communities. What is often missing is a shared space where these different worlds can come together.
“KLRF hopes to create a space where people can slow down, put away their phones and rediscover the joy of reading, reflection and meaningful conversations,” the organisers said.
They expressed hope that the festival would contribute to a stronger reading culture in Malaysia while showcasing the country’s unique multilingual literary ecosystem.
The festival will run from 11am to 8pm on both days at GMBB Kuala Lumpur.
Members of the public can follow festival updates and announcements via KLRF’s official Instagram page. ‒ Focus Malaysia
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