Book Launches, Author Talks & Lit Fests in Chennai

The biggest literary event in Chennai is the Chennai Book Fair, whose 50th edition is scheduled for 7–19 January 2027 at the YMCA Grounds in Nandanam. The Hindu's Lit for Life festival was held on 17–18 January 2026 at the Lady Andal school campus in Chetpet; dates for 2027 had not been announced as of October 2026. Between festivals, the Anna Centenary Library in Kotturpuram hosts Ponmalai Pozhudhu, a Saturday talk series, along with book releases and children's programmes. The city also has some of India's oldest book institutions: the Madras Literary Society, founded in 1812, the Connemara Public Library of 1896 in Egmore and Higginbothams on Anna Salai, which dates from 1844. Bookshops and cafés host launches, poetry readings and Tamil literary meets.