By Keerthi Ramesh
The ninth edition of Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) which took place on the shores of Kozhikode beach in Kerala this week, gained a special allure with the presence of Sunita Williams, former NASA astronaut.
Her visit comes days after news broke that she had retired from NASA in late December 2025, following a 27-year career that saw her set records for cumulative spacewalking time and lead missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Most recently, an unplanned nine-month stay aboard orbiting labs tested her endurance and adaptability, a story she now recounts with both humility and humor.
She was welcomed on to the KLF stage with warm applause and pride, celebrated around the world for her space missions and leadership, Williams brought a personal and reflective message to a gathering known more for books than for rockets. This edition of KLF assumes special significance as it is the first major festival after Kozhikode was recognized as India’s first UNESCO City of Literature.
Read: A life among the stars: Sunita Williams retires from NASA after 27 years (January 21, 2026)
Williams arrived in Kozhikode on Jan. 21 to take part in the four-day festival that ends on Jan. 25. The festival organizers showcased her appearances as a bridge between science and the humanities, a chance to connect cosmic exploration with everyday curiosity. She joined the tourism minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas to inaugurate the event.
Many prominent figures from politics, literature, and cinema attended the event which added vibrance to the venue. In an evening session titled “Dreams Reach Orbit: Meet the Astronaut Who Touched the Sky,” Williams shared memories from her three spaceflights, which together spanned more than 300 days.
She spoke candidly about the awe she felt seeing Earth from space, describing the planet as a “living, breathing whole,” and underscored the role imagination plays in scientific discovery. “In space you see borders disappear,” she told the crowd, pausing as cameras clicked. “What unites us is far greater than what divides us.”
Williams also touched on spirituality and personal grounding, recounting how she once carried small symbols of belief on her flights, including an idol of Ganesha and pages from the Bhagavad Gita. She said those reminders gave her perspective during long hours in orbit.
Read: Sunita Williams returns home after 286 day space odyssey (March 19, 2025)
The festival’s diverse program is not short on notable names, but Williams’ presence drew attention from across India’s cultural and scientific communities. Malayalam actor Prakash Raj described meeting her onstage as an uplifting experience, calling her “a courageous woman of our times” in a social media post.
On Friday, Williams engaged with younger audiences in a children’s session titled “Once Upon a Time in Space,” where she answered school children’s questions about life off Earth and encouraged them to dream without restraint.
Local officials and festival leaders said the goal of inviting Williams was to expand the scope of the literature festival beyond words on a page to include ideas that shape the future. “Her journey reflects the spirit of inquiry that we celebrate here,” one organizer said.
As she moves through her schedule, including a final session with journalist Barkha Dutt titled “Astronaut’s Odyssey,” Williams’ message remained rooted in human connection. She told audiences that her visit to Kerala has been meaningful on a personal level, offering a chance to explore her heritage and meet people whose lives are very different from her own.