2026 dialogues

10 - 12 April, G5A warehouse

The Almost Island Dialogues began as a natural extension of the journal. It is a very intimate gathering where writers can talk at length on craft, form, their different cultural contexts. The writers who are invited for these Dialogues span several continents, they have spoken in many languages, with the help of interpreters. They were chosen because we deeply admired their work, their singularity. Almost always we knew the work well. We were not concerned with their fame or lack of it, we invited those we admired. We have been called the "anti-festival", but the intention was to only be what we are.

Almost Island is grateful to have received continuous support from the Torsteel Research Foundation in India for all its projects, and support for the Dialogues and the journal from Columbia University, Yale University, University of Wisconsin at Madison, The India International Centre, the Veni Rao Foundation, the Bangalore International Centre, as well as several individuals and friends.

editions

2024 | Aug. 30 - Sep 1 | IIC, Delhi

With participating writers David Herd, Sharmistha Mohanty, Mantra Mukim, Habib Tengour, Anitha Thampi.

2022 | Aug. 19-21 | IIC, Delhi

With S. Anand reading Namdeo Dhasal, Raúl Zurita, Sharmistha Mohanty, Anna Deeny Morales, Kristin Dykstra , Aishwarya Iyer, Balam Rodrigo

2019 | Dec. 6–8 | BIC, Bangalore

with Zoë Wicomb, Togara Muzanenhamo, I. Allan Sealy, Michael Kelleher, Jayant Kaikini, Joy Goswami, Vivek Shanbhag, Sharmistha Mohanty

2018 | Dec. 22–23 | IIC, Delhi

With Ari Sitas, Mani Rao, Subhro Bandhopadhyay, Rahul Soni, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty

2017 | Dec. 16–17 | IIC, Delhi

with Bei Dao, Mohammed Bennis, Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Manglesh Dabral, Sergio Chejfec, I. Allan Sealy, Joy Goswami, Emily Sun, Jared Stark, Magaret Carson, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty

2015 | Feb. 13–15 | IIC, Delhi

with Raul Zurita, Joy Goswami, Kutti Revathy, K. Satchidanandan, Anna Deeny Morales, Bahauddin Dagar, Parvathy Baul, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty

2013 | Dec. 19–22 | IIC, Delhi

with​ Xi Chuan, Bahauddin Dagar, Renee Gladman, László Krasznahorkai, Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Ashis Nandy,​ Sharmistha Mohanty, Rahul Soni

2011 India-China | Dec. 19–21 | Jnanapravaha, Mumbai

with Bei Dao, Adil Jussawalla, Irwin Allan Sealy, Xi Chuan, Ouyang Jianghe, Han Shaogong, K. Satchidanandan, Rukmini Bhaya Nair, Ge Fei, Ashis Nandy, Li Tuo, Lydia Liu, Yourou Zhong, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty

2011 | Mar. 11–13 | IIC, Delhi

with Forrest Gander, Vahni Capildeo, George Szirtes, Irwin Allan Sealy, Rahul Soni, Giriraj Kiradoo, the Cybermohalla Collective, Charu Nivedita, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty

2010 | Mar. 18–21 | IIC, Delhi

with Tomasz Salamun, Vahni Capildeo, Eliot Weinberger, Joy Goswami, Xu Xi, Anita Agnihotri, Charu Nivedita, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty

2009 | Feb. 12–15 | IIC, Delhi

with Ashis Nandy, Kunwar Narain, Bei Dao, Joy Goswami, Xi Chuan, Ouyang Jianghe, Ge Fei, Zhai Yongming, K. Satchidanandan, Li Tuo, Vinod Kumar Shukla, Irwin Allan Sealy, Rukmini Bhaya Nair, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty

2008 | Mar. 6–9 | IIC, Delhi

with Claudio Magris, Bei Dao, George Szirtes, Udayan Vajpeyi, Irwin Allan Sealy, Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Mani Kaul, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty

2006 | Dec. 15–17 | IIC, Delhi

with Irwin Allan Sealy, George Szirtes, Mani Kaul, Mariko Nagai, K. Satchidanandan, Vinod Kumar Shukla, Arvind Mehrotra, Vivek Narayanan, Sharmistha Mohanty