9th ALS Literary Confluence 2026

Asian Literary Society Hosts 9th ALS Literary Confluence in New Delhi, Celebrating Literature, Creativity and Emerging Voices

New Delhi, September 5, 2026: The Asian Literary Society (ALS) successfully hosted the 9th ALS Literary Confluence 2026 at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, bringing together distinguished literary personalities, authors, poets, artists and members of the ALS community in a vibrant celebration of literature and creative expression.

The Confluence was held at the Deputy Chairman Hall, Constitution Club of India, Sansad Marg, New Delhi, and was graced by distinguished Guests of Honour Dr. Amarendra Khatua, Dr. Vinita Narula and Dr. Malavika Joshi. Their presence added distinction and warmth to the literary gathering.

Manoj Krishnan, Founder of the Asian Literary Society, welcomed the distinguished guests, authors, awardees and participants and spoke about ALS’s continuing efforts to provide a platform for writers, poets and artists to showcase their creativity and connect with a diverse literary community.

A special highlight of the programme was a presentation on ALSphere, the monthly literary magazine of the Asian Literary Society. Vandana Bhasin spoke about ALSphere’s journey, its role in providing a platform for writers and poets, and its efforts to showcase diverse literary voices and creative expressions from the ALS community.

The literary session was moderated by Charu Kalra, who brought together the various segments of the programme with engaging and thoughtful moderation.

Celebrating Literary Excellence

A major highlight of the Confluence was the announcement and felicitation of winners of the ALS Sagar Memorial Awards, ALS Deepti Srivastava Memorial Award, ALS Dr. Usha Sridhar Memorial Awards, ALSphere Awards, ALS Wordsmith Awards, ALS Photography Contest and ALS Art Contest.

The ALS Sagar Memorial Award 2026 recognised excellence in children’s literature. Neeti Parti won the Children’s Book category for Khushi. In Children’s Poetry, Dr. Mallika Tripathi won first prize for Meri Pyari Maa, followed by Dr. Minal for Meri Patang. Ramya V (Choo Choo Companions) and Manisha Amol (Maa and Happy Me) received third prizes. In Children’s Story, Preethi Warrier won for Guavas for Ganapathy, followed by Neeti Parti for The Green Guardians of Gulmohar Grove and Ramya V for Wrapped in Love.

The ALS Deepti Srivastava Memorial Award 2026 for English Poetry was won by Neeti Parti for The Ocean’s Secret of Peace, with Srividya Subramanian securing second prize for Search for Peace and Dr. Anamika Nath third prize for When We Meet Without Walls.

The ALS Dr. Usha Sridhar Memorial Awards 2026 saw Charu Kalra emerge as the winner in English Poetry for Serendipity, while Dr. Mallika Tripathi and Ramya V secured second and third prizes respectively. In English Story, Manisha Amol won for Life Saver, followed by Saurabh Dutt for Not for Sale and Dr. Preeti Talwar for What the Storm Could Not Take.

The ALSphere Awards 2026, dedicated to creative works addressing women’s issues, recognised Dr. Gitika Verma as the winner in English Short Story for She Is a Daaiyan!, while Dr. Suruchi Aditya won second prize for Finding Herself and Zeyd Ladha third for Defiance. In the English Article category, Dr. Vedha Surendra won for When the Nest Grew Quiet, followed by Neeti Parti for The Price of the Priceless and Dr. Gitika Verma for A House of Her Own.

The ALS Wordsmith Awards 2026 celebrated excellence across Hindi and English literature. Dr. Minal won the Hindi Story category for Peeth, while Daisy Bala won Hindi Poetry for Peehar Ka Ghar. Kavya Sagarika and Dr. Minal shared the second prize for Raksha-Soot Ka Mol and Chandni Ki Lalten respectively, while Dr. Suboohi Jafar “Aatika”, Charu Kalra and Pooja Agarwal received third prizes.

In English Poetry, Ramya V won for Beyond the Broken World. Manpreet Chadha and Srividya Subramanian secured second prizes, while Staffy Bhateja, Dr. Vedha Surendra and Manisha Amol received third prizes.

The ALS Wordsmith Award (Junior) 2026 for English Poetry was won by Kanav Lall for You Will Not Find Me in My Empty Grave, with Diya Mittai and Ranganath Sriram securing second and third prizes respectively.

In English Story, Dr. Suruchi Aditya won for The Price of Immortality, followed by Ramya V for His Silent Sacrifices and Dr. Mallika Tripathi for Thirteen Hundred Rupees.

The ALS Photography Contest 2026 was won by Dr. Mallika Tripathi, with Zeyd Ladha and Dr. Minal securing second and third prizes. The ALS Art Contest 2026 was won by Leeba Luka, followed by Staffy Bhateja and Shalini Mathur.

The awards also recognised numerous writers and artists with Certificates of Excellence and Special Mentions across various categories.

Celebrating New Books

Another major attraction of the Confluence was the launch of seven literary works, showcasing the diversity and creativity of ALS authors.

ALS NaPoWriMo 2026: A Bilingual Anthology of Poems was launched as a collection of selected poems emerging from the ALS NaPoWriMo 2026 challenge. Featuring poetry in both English and Hindi, the anthology brings together diverse voices exploring love, nature, hope, resilience, relationships, identity and the human experience.

Dr. Shehla Ahmad’s Poetic Expressions was also launched at the Confluence. The collection presents the poet’s sensitive responses to the world around her, combining heartfelt emotions with mature and nuanced poetic expression.

Kiren Babal’s Cosmic Dance, an anthology of sixty poems, celebrates a sustained creative journey in which each poem emerges from the poet’s reflections, emotions and experiences. The collection explores the interconnectedness of life, nature and human emotions through the elements of earth, water, air and fire.

Anita Chand’s Hindi poetry collection Door Kahin Manzil To Hogi offers a sensitive poetic journey through war, human suffering, humanity, life, memories, nature, love and hope. The collection ultimately reflects the search for a destination where peace, affection and hope can flourish again.

Manoj Krishnan’s Kuchh Shikan Ki Thi Lakeeren brings together tender expressions of the mind and heart. The poems weave together life experiences and imagination, offering readers an intimate exploration of human emotions and inner sensitivities.

Smriti Srivastava’s Antarman Ke Deep explores diverse facets of life through poetry, including devotion, nature, patriotism, women’s empowerment, environmental concerns and changing social realities.

Pooja Agarwal’s Ehsaas Mere Shabdon Mein, her second book, brings together poems on love, relationships, hope, struggle, confidence and human emotions. Written in a simple, accessible and heartfelt style, the collection seeks to connect readers with experiences from their own lives.

The 9th ALS Literary Confluence reflected the Asian Literary Society’s continuing commitment to nurturing literary talent and providing a common platform for diverse forms of creative expression. The event brought together established and emerging voices from poetry, fiction, children’s literature, art and photography.

The presence of the distinguished Guests of Honour, the insightful discussion on ALSphere, the engaging moderation by Charu Kalra, the felicitation of award winners and the launch of new books together made the Confluence a memorable celebration of literature and creativity.

The programme concluded with the felicitation of the award winners and participating authors, followed by a vote of thanks. The gathering celebrated not only literary achievement but also the spirit of community, creativity and collaboration that lies at the heart of the Asian Literary Society.

The event reaffirmed ALS’s vision of creating a vibrant and inclusive literary ecosystem where writers and artists can share their voices, inspire one another and reach readers across geographical and cultural boundaries.