George Town hosts literary festival from 27 November

George Town hosts the George Town Literary Festival from 27 to 29 November 2026, bringing literature, translation and history to Malaysia’s Penang capital. The sixteenth edition, organised by Penang Institute, uses the theme Cosmopolises to examine how different communities share urban spaces.

George Town Literary Festival sets its November programme

The festival runs from Friday 27 November to Sunday 29 November 2026. The organiser has announced 53 writers, poets, speakers, moderators and other contributors from 20 countries and territories.

The programme includes panel discussions, literary conversations, readings, book launches, workshops, student activities, performances and fringe events. The opening ceremony, Letters of the Penang Diaspora, centres on personal letters written by Penangites who have studied, worked or lived abroad. Another announced project, Languages I Live In, brings together student short films and reflective essays in a dedicated exhibition and reading session. The festival programme for 2026 gives the event its stated focus on literature, translation, history and foodways.

Penang Institute is the organiser, while the festival website lists its base at Brown Road in Penang. The institute says the festival will take place across Wisma Yeap Chor Ee and Bangunan U.A.B., with Digital Penang and Think City involved in the two venue partnerships. Most of the programme is open to the public, while selected workshops and special programmes have separate arrangements.

George Town’s heritage setting shapes the festival

The festival takes place in a city whose historic centre is part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca. UNESCO inscribed the property in 2008, recognising the two port cities as places shaped by centuries of exchange between Asia and Europe.

George Town World Heritage Incorporated records a 109.38-hectare core zone and a 150.04-hectare buffer zone containing 5,013 buildings. Shophouses, places of worship, clan jetties and traditional trades remain part of the living urban fabric. That setting gives the 2026 programme a direct connection to its subject: the festival discusses migration, memory and coexistence inside a city where those histories remain visible. The heritage site profile describes the core and buffer zones, while the organiser’s programme announcement confirms the festival dates and venues.

Visiting George Town: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The George Town Literary Festival takes place from 27 to 29 November 2026 at Wisma Yeap Chor Ee and Bangunan U.A.B. in George Town.
• The festival is largely open to the public, but selected workshops and special programmes have separate arrangements; registration details are issued by the organiser.
• The venues sit within the wider UNESCO heritage city, whose inscribed property includes a 109.38-hectare core zone and a 150.04-hectare buffer zone.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about George Town

When does the George Town Literary Festival take place?

The festival runs from 27 to 29 November 2026 across two venues in George Town.

What is George Town?

George Town is a Malaysian historic city whose heritage property was inscribed by UNESCO in 2008.

Where is George Town and how do you get there?

George Town is in Penang, Malaysia, and the festival venues are Wisma Yeap Chor Ee and Bangunan U.A.B.