2026 Seoul International Writers Festival

The 2026 Seoul International Writers Festival will be held from September 11 to September 16, 2026, at Ara Art Center, 26 Insadong 9-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and admission and all programs are free. Advance reservations will be available from August 10 through the official website and Naver Reservation. Based on the publicly available information, it has not been confirmed whether reservations are required for every program. Unlike the 2025 statistics of 405 writers from 61 countries, 237 programs, and 48,815 audience members, the 2026 festival is presented as featuring 24 invited writers, including 14 from Korea and 10 from overseas, along with around 20 events, so the counting standards differ. The theme is “Who Are You?”, with the special exhibition on floors 1–3, workshops on the second floor, and talks on the third floor, allowing visitors to choose their schedule within one building.

From 61 countries in 2025 to 24 invited writers in 2026

According to the 2025 figures, the Seoul International Writers Festival welcomed 405 writers from 61 countries, recording 237 programs and 48,815 audience members. The publicly announced figure for 2026 is 24 invited writers, comprising 14 Korean writers and 10 overseas writers, so last year’s statistics and this year’s number of invited writers should not be directly compared as if they were measured in the same way.

In 2026, around 20 events, including writer talks, workshops, special exhibitions, and collaborative programs, will take place both online and offline. The festival is hosted by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This year’s theme, “Who Are You?”, is also presented in English as “WHO ARE WE?”.

Ara Art Center, a 10-minute walk from Anguk Station Exit 6

It takes about 10 minutes to walk from Exit 6 of Anguk Station on Subway Line 3 to Ara Art Center. As this is the shortest route listed for reaching the venue by subway from central Seoul, first-time visitors can enter Ara Art Center as their destination in a map app and set Anguk Station Exit 6 as their starting point.

It is also about 10 minutes from Exit 3-1 of Jonggak Station on Line 1, and about 15 minutes from Exit 5 of Jongno 3-ga Station on Line 5. Nearby trunk bus routes include 109, 151, 162, 171, 172, 272, 401, 406, 601, 606, and 704; feeder bus routes include 1020, 7022, and 7025. Metropolitan buses 7900 and 9401, as well as village buses Jongno 01 and Jongno 02, are also available.

If you drive, you can use the Insadong Seoin-samgama-dang Public Parking Lot, which costs 800 won per 10 minutes. Talks begin at 6:30 p.m. on September 14 and 15, while the exhibition remains open until 7 p.m., so a day trip is possible if you are staying in Seoul. When traveling after a late talk, check the last departure time of the route you plan to use for your destination, and for directions, you can call Ara Art Center at 02-733-1981.

A schedule for choosing second-floor workshops, third-floor talks, and exhibitions on floors 1–3

On September 11, Kim Hyo-eun’s “Autobiography Written with the Face” workshop will be held on the second floor at 3 p.m., followed at 6 p.m. on the third floor by the opening ceremony and opening talk, “I Am a Person,” featuring Kim Ae-ran and Benjamín Labatut. On September 12, the schedule continues with “I Am a Child” at 11 a.m., “Poetry Written with the Voice” on the second floor at 12:30 p.m., “I Am a Person Who Chooses” at 2 p.m., “A Story Completed with Lines” on the second floor at 3:30 p.m., and “I Am a Person Who Faces” at 5 p.m.

On September 13, “I Am a Person Who Uses the Body” takes place at 11 a.m., “Graphic Novels in Four Panels” on the second floor at 12:30 p.m., “I Am a Different/Same Person” at 2 p.m., “Fiction Written with the Voice” on the second floor at 3:30 p.m., and “I Am a Person Who Speaks” at 5 p.m. On September 14, “I Am a Person Who Translates” at 12:30 p.m., “I Am a Person Who Digs Deep” at 3:30 p.m., and “I Am a Person Who Fears” at 6:30 p.m. will all take place on the third floor.

On the third floor on September 15, “I Am a Lost Person” will be held at 12:30 p.m., the special talk “A Story Connected through Translation” at 3:30 p.m., and “I Am a Person Who Remembers” at 6:30 p.m. On September 16, “I Am a Person Who Draws” will take place at 12:30 p.m., followed by “I Am a Person Who Loves” at 3:30 p.m. Talks and workshops center on listening to the proceedings, while the special exhibition has a different character: visitors view photographs taken directly by the writers and draw their own faces on the walls.

The special exhibition runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on September 11; from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on September 12–13; from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on September 14–15; and from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 16, across floors 1–3. If you only want to see the exhibition, plan around its 10 a.m. opening on September 12–13 or its final closing time of 4 p.m. on September 16. If you also want to attend talks, coordinate separately with the start times on the second and third floors for each date.

Three details to check first for the “Who Are You?” schedule

We could not verify from the publicly available materials the operating, cancellation, and refund policies in case of rain in 2026; whether temporary shuttle buses or traffic controls will operate during the festival; or the reservation deadlines and remaining seats for each program. Accessibility for wheelchairs and strollers, as well as the availability of English information and interpretation, has also not yet been confirmed. Travelers for whom this information is important should check the reservation page and event information separately when choosing a talk or workshop.

For visitors who require English support, talks and workshops whose language of delivery has not been confirmed may be limiting. Travelers with strollers or wheelchairs should first verify whether movement between floors 1 and 3 is possible. Information about food sales inside the venue, restroom locations, and luggage storage was also unavailable for this itinerary, so travelers who need to arrange meals and rest stops outside the building will need additional planning.

Especially if you choose a 6:30 p.m. talk, check the last train or bus for your return route. Before reserving, verify the availability of seats and the information on English guidance or interpretation and wheelchair or stroller access on the official website on the same day.

• Can I attend both the 3 p.m. workshop and the 6 p.m. opening talk on September 11? — The two events are held on the second and third floors of Ara Art Center, respectively, so you can plan to attend them consecutively on the same day.
• Which morning should I visit if I only want to see the exhibition? — The special exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on September 12–13, and from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 16.
• Are there talks featuring overseas writers? — Of the 24 invited writers in 2026, 10 are from overseas. The opening talk featuring Kim Ae-ran and Benjamín Labatut is also scheduled for 6 p.m. on September 11.
• How can I distinguish the second-floor workshops from the third-floor talks? — Workshops such as “Autobiography Written with the Face” and “Poetry Written with the Voice” are held on the second floor, while talks take place on the third floor.