Pick a Book’s Readers’ Summit returns on 29 August

Friday, 7 August 2026 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Pick a Book Ltd., will hold the second Readers’ Summit on 29 August, an evening built around a simple idea — that in an age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the human edge begins with reading.

Running from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Cinnamon Grand under the theme ‘The Human Edge Begins with Reading,’ the Summit brings together business leaders, chief executives, entrepreneurs, authors, publishers, educators, content creators, and readers for an evening of ideas, conversation, and connection.

The program spans panel discussions with voices from across business and the creative world, an Authors’ Corner spotlighting emerging Sri Lankan writers and their first published books, curated book sales, interactive games and quizzes, and networking that cuts across industries. Barista coffee corners will anchor the informal spaces where the real conversations happen.

At the heart of the evening is Read & Rise, Pick a Book’s book donation campaign — which has donated 30,000 books to date this year. Building on that, Pick a Book is launching a structured, ongoing reading program in underprivileged schools, moving from one-off donations to a sustained presence that puts books and reading habits into the hands of young readers year-round.

Pick a Book Founder Tharmakulasingam Ragulan said: “Reading is often a solitary act, but the ideas it sparks are meant to be shared. The Readers’ Summit exists to turn reading into something social — to bring an entire ecosystem of readers, authors, business leaders and learners into one room and let real connection grow out of the books that shape us. That is the human edge: not the information itself, but what we build with one another around it. Read & Rise carries the same belief to the next generation, because a child who reads today becomes someone who thinks, questions and leads tomorrow.”

The Summit will also feature the Reading Oasis Awards, recognising organisations that have built a lasting culture of reading and learning.

The Pick a Book Readers’ Summit 2026 is held with support from Barista Coffee Lanka, PickMe, Daily FT, The Asian Review, and Glanz Digital. Tickets are available exclusively through PickMe Events.