WoW-KL 2026 | Event Programme

Featured voices

Major voices. Meaningful conversations.

WoW-KL 2026 brings together literary, cultural, leadership and community voices whose work shows how reading shapes thought, art, leadership and public life.

Banu Mushtaq

International Booker Prize-winning Kannada writer.

Kanishka Gupta

Literary agent connected to the global journey of Heart Lamp.

Dato’ Ramli Ibrahim

Dance icon and artistic leader.

Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican

Founder of The Actors Studio and theatre pioneer.

Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop

Economist, former minister and leadership voice.

What to expect

A sharper continuation of the movement.

The 2026 edition expands the movement through forums, creative performances, student participation, international voices, literary communities and the WoW-KL Awards.

Read to Lead

How reading shapes leadership, decision-making, public life and professional growth.

Read to Heal

How books and stories support emotional resilience, empathy and personal meaning.

Read to Build

How reading communities are built through schools, universities, book clubs, families and institutions.

Programme overview

Two days of reading, ideas and culture.

This overview provides the key flow. Timings may be refined as speakers and protocol arrangements are finalised.

Day 1 · Friday, 14 August 2026

Theme direction: Read to Lead / Read to Inspire

8:30 am

Registration Opens

9:15 am

Entertainment Prelude: Words Come Alive

10:00 am

Royal Arrival and Official Opening

10:25 am

Forum 1 · The Role of Women in Nurturing a Culture of Reading and Writing

11:45 am

Forum 2 · Readers Together: How Book Clubs Build Reading Cultures

2:00 pm

Pages to Stage · School Book-Based Skit

2:45 pm

Forum 3 · Beyond Boundaries: How Reading Opens Up Minds

4:00 pm

Forum 4 · Stories Shape Us

Day 2 · Saturday, 15 August 2026

Theme direction: Read to Build / Read to Heal

9:00 am

Registration / Arrival

9:30 am

Forum 5 · Read to Lead

10:45 am

Forum 7 · Reading Without Borders

11:45 am

Forum 8 · The First Chapter

2:30 pm

Opening of Awards Ceremony

2:45 pm

WoW-KL Awards · Segment 1

3:35 pm

WoW-KL Awards · Segment 2

4:35 pm

Reading Pledge / Commitment Moment

Forums

The conversations at the heart of WoW-KL 2026.

Each forum brings together moderators and panellists from literature, education, culture, media, leadership, book communities and youth voices.

Speakers and panellists

Meet the voices shaping the programme.

Click any profile to view a short bio. More profiles can be added as speaker confirmations are completed.

WoW-KL Awards

Celebrating people and organisations building reading culture.

The WoW-KL Awards recognise meaningful contributions to reading, writing, publishing, education, book communities and literary culture.

View Awards Page

Attend / participate

Be part of WoW-KL 2026.

Register your interest as an individual, school, university, organisation, sponsor, volunteer or community supporter.

Join the Movement