BLF opens nominations Aug. 15

Banaras Lit Fest said nominations for the third BLF Book Awards 2027 will open on August 15, 2026, extending the awards program tied to its annual literature festival in Varanasi. The submission deadline is October 31, 2026, according to an announcement published by Oneindia and details listed on Banaras Lit Fest’s awards materials. The awards cover books in English, Hindi and regional languages, the festival says. Banaras Lit Fest’s main website says its 2027 edition is scheduled for February 4 to 7 at Taj Ganges in Varanasi. ### When do nominations actually open, and what is the deadline? August 15, 2026 is the opening date for nominations for the BLF Book Awards 2027, according to Oneindia’s announcement on Thursday. The same report said publishers and individual authors across India are being invited to submit eligible books. (oneindia.com) October 31, 2026 is the last date for submissions, according to both the Oneindia report and a Hindi-language report in Outlook Hindi that reproduced the awards process timeline. Those dates matter because the current date is August 6, 2026, which means nominations had not yet opened at the time of the announcement. (oneindia.com) ### What kinds of books and languages are covered? The BLF Book Awards page says the honors recognize writing in English, Hindi and regional languages. The same page describes the program as covering “10+ categories” for authors, poets, translators and publishers. Oneindia’s report said the call for entries is aimed at books published in Hindi and English. (oneindia.com) The festival’s own awards page uses broader language by also referring to regional languages, so entrants would need to rely on the official BLF materials for the full category list and eligibility details. That is an inference drawn from the difference between the announcement coverage and the awards page. (banaraslitfest.org) ### What happens after the October submission cutoff? December 25, 2026 is the date listed for announcing a longlist of 10 books in each category, according to Outlook Hindi’s reproduction of the awards schedule. January 4, 2027 is listed for the shortlist of five books in each category, and January 9, 2027 for the winners. (oneindia.com) January 2026 offers a recent example of how the process has worked before. Indian Express, Scroll and other outlets reported that Banaras Lit Fest announced a longlist for its 2026 book awards earlier this year, followed by a shortlist and winners in January. ### How does this fit into the festival itself? (outlookhindi.com) Banaras Lit Fest’s homepage says the 2027 festival will run from February 4 to 7 at Taj Ganges, Varanasi. A separate BLF page for the award ceremony also points to the same festival dates. February 7, 2027 is the date Outlook Hindi listed for the award ceremony during the fifth Banaras Lit Fest. (indianexpress.com) That places the book awards as part of the festival’s on-site program rather than as a standalone publishing event. ### Where should authors and publishers look next? (banaraslitfest.org) The Banaras Lit Fest awards pages are the primary source for category and process details, while Oneindia carried the August 6 announcement of the nomination window. Banaras Lit Fest’s website also says registration for the February 2027 festival is opening soon. (outlookhindi.com) October 31, 2026 is the next fixed milestone for entrants, followed by the December 25 longlist, the January 4 shortlist, the January 9 winners announcement and the February 7 award ceremony during BLF 2027 in Varanasi. (oneindia.com)