People and Books I Discovered at GALF 2026
Frederick Noronha
People and Books I Discovered at GALF 2026
Highlights from a day well spent at Goa’s very own homegrown literary festival.
Every year, come February, I look forward to the Goa Arts & Literary Festival (GALF), hosted at the India International Centre in Dona Paula. The fest brings together veteran authors and up-and-coming ones, dedicated readers and aspiring ones, mainstream and niche conversations, and a spectrum of books, all under one roof.
Though I attended just one day of the best this year, I walked away inspired by amazing conversations, people, and connections.
Here’s a snapshot of books that have made it to my reading list (also turned into a reel).
“Love, Sex and India – Agents of Ishq anthology” edited by Paromita Vohra.
I first met Paromita at the SHEROES Summit in 2018, where she delivered a session in her usual candid, humorous, and authentic style on her work as the creator of Agents of Ishq, a platform that encourages honest and vulnerable conversations on sex, love, and desire. Her session at GALF 2026 was equally vibrant, educational, and humorous, and invited much interaction from the audience.
She introduced the book, which is a collection of published essays from the platform. Many of these essays were published anonymously, as the subjects are very personal. However, in the book, all the writers wanted them to be published under their real names. I felt especially kicked to discover that one of the essays is the coming-out story of the daughter of a dear friend.
“THE GIRL FROM FERGANA: Secrets of My Mother’s Chinese Tea Chest” by Jonathan Gill Harris
I also attended a poignant session where journalist Ajay Kamalakaran interviewed author Jonathan Gill Harris on his book “THE GIRL FROM FERGANA: Secrets of My Mother’s Chinese Tea Chest”. The book seems a labour of love, and is based on the life of the author’s mother.
Early displacement from Nazi-occupied Poland led her to flee to the Fergana Valley, a cultural melting pot that shaped her life. The author spoke emotionally about his experience of learning his mother’s story as she navigated the onset of Alzheimer’s. It was evident that she was his hero!
“Gooday Nagar” by Maithreyi Karnoor
I also stumbled into a lively session with Jerry Pinto in conversation with poet, award-winning Kannada to English Literature translator Maithreyi Karnoor. She shared how she got into translation, and into writing her book “Gooday Nagar”, a collection of short stories in English inspired by her travels and observations.
She read a brief excerpt that unravelled her vivid imagination, humour, and ability to tell a story with well-crafted language. I bought the book on the spot, got it signed, and had a fun chat with the author. She spoke fondly of her time living in Curtorim. The peaceful quiet of the village and the safety she felt here, as a woman, allowed her to get some solid translation/ writing work done!
“Fever and Other Stories” by Jose Lourenco
After Maithreyi’s session, I bumped into Jose Lourenco, a short story writer from Goa. At another event where he was a panellist, I remember posing a question on whether a short story must end with a twist in the tale. His answer offered me much food for thought.
This time, we had a brief tete-a-tete, and he presented me with a copy of his book “Fever and Other Stories”, a wonderful gesture. I have started enjoying the stories, which are humorous, profound, and rooted in Goan life.
Unfortunately, I could not attend any sessions featuring Goan authors this year, though there were quite a few such sessions at GALF. I will definitely make it a point to do so from here on.
“I Didn’t Say It” by Sandip Paul
Award-winning industrial designer Sandip Paul delivered a lively presentation of his journey of observing life closing and turning his observations into game-changing design ideas. The author has now brought out a book, “I Didn’t Say It”, which captures this journey. It seems to be doing well sans the backing of a publishing house.
I conclude this post with a fun highlight of the day - an impromptu poetry recitation by Jerry Pinto, performed in the friendly fest bazaar square. The sentiments of the poem “I Will Kill a Ram for You” are a little blasphemous. But as a woman, I can say with confidence that we’re all experiencing them, a little! Catch this powerful soliloquy at the end of the reel below:
Merril Diniz is an independent writer from Goa with a special interest in themes like women & money, disability & access, senior lifestyles, and contemporary Goan life. She also hosts a women-focused interview series that spotlights the transformation journeys of her guests.
DON’T MISS: Meet Rinea, the Goan Artist who turned her home into a creative Masterpiece!
_/ Frederick Noronha फ्रेडरिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا
_/ AUDIO https://archive.org/details/@fredericknoronha
_/ http://goa1556.in +91-9822122436 784 Saligao Goa
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Rita Chhablani
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Frederick Noronha
Rita Chhablani
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