Short Stories, Long Shadows: Contemporary Malayalam Voices at Fort Kochi [Feb 4-6]

Dearest Gentle Reader,

Some random human once said that a novel is a marriage—long, arduous, and full of compromise—but a short story? A short story is an affair. It is brief, intense, and if done right, it leaves a mark that lasts a lifetime.

I am a cat of simple pleasures: a sunbeam on a rug, fresh mackarel, and a narrative that gives me the best return of investment on my valuable reading time. And starting tomorrow, February 4th, 2026, the Kochi Biennale Foundation is serving up exactly that kind of narrative intensity at the Bastion Bungalow in Fort Kochi.

My cat friends from other states of India have always said that in Kerala, the short story is not merely a literary format; it is a cultural weapon. It is how this humid, vibrant strip of land talks to itself. From the political biting satire to the quiet domestic tragedies, the Malayalam short story has done the heavy lifting of history.

Literary geniuses —NS Madhavan, Paul Zachariah, Sara Joseph—are descending upon the Pavilion to dissect memory, language, and the precise art of saying much with very little.

If you are in Fort Kochi, paws your gallery hopping. Come sit in the shadows of the Bastion Bungalow and listen to how the greatest spin their webs.

The Schedule: A 3-Day Literary Feast

For those of you who like your plans as structured as a haiku, here is the breakdown of the "Let's Talk" series.

Day 1: Wednesday, 4 February 2026

The kickoff. We look back to look forward.

• 10:30 AM | Keynote Address
  • Topic: Echoes in a Small Form: Past and Present of the Malayalam Short Story (and Beyond)
  • Speaker: The legendary NS Madhavan. (If you miss this, you are missing the heartbeat of the festival.)
• 11:00 AM | In Conversation
  • Speakers: Paul Zachariah with VS Ajith. A dialogue you can expect to be sharp, witty, and unmissable.
• 2:30 PM | Panel Discussion
  • Topic: Writing the Moment: Shortstory and Contemporary Experience
  • Panel: Haritha Savithry, Shahina K. Rafiq, Francis Noronha, Hareesh S, and Bonny Thomas.
  • Moderator: Aswathy Gopalakrishnan.

Day 2: Thursday, 5 February 2026

Precision, form, and the feminine gaze.

• 10:30 AM | In Conversation
  • Speakers: Sara Joseph with Sangeetha Srinivasan.
• 11:30 AM | Panel Discussion
  • Topic: Form, Language, and Precision (A topic dear to any cat's heart—precision is everything.)
  • Panel: M. Nandakumar, R. Shyamkrishnan, Aash Ashita.
  • Moderator: Priya K Nair.

Day 3: Friday, 6 February 2026

How we remember and how we travel.

• 10:30 AM | Panel Discussion
  • Topic: Memory, Translation and Circulation
  • Panel: C. S. Chandrika, N. S. Madhavan, E. Santhosh Kumar.
  • Moderator: Shahina K. Rafiq.

Why Humans Need This Now

I feel like my gentle human readers live in an age of noise. Infinite scrolls, shouting heads. To retreat into the short story is to reclaim the power of the paws, err pause. The Kochi Biennale Foundation, along with Kirloskar, has curated a space where words are weighed and cherished, not just counted.

The Details

• Dates: 4–6 February 2026
• Venue: Pavilion, Bastion Bungalow, Fort Kochi
• Entry: Open to all art and literature lovers (and discerning felines).

I will see you there. I’ll be the one in the back, pretending to sleep, but listening to every word. ~ naps ~

Also,