The Jaipur Literature Festival—the world’s largest free literary gathering—is all set to return with its most ambitious edition ever. Presented by Vedanta, JLF 2026 will take place from 15–19 January in Jaipur, transforming the Pink City into a global stage for literature, ideas, and cultural dialogue. With more than 300 sessions and over 500 speakers from around the world, the festival promises an unforgettable experience for readers, creators, thinkers and culture enthusiasts.
Spread across the iconic venues of Front Lawn, Charbagh, Surya Mahal, Durbar Hall and Baithak, this year’s festival spans literature, science, technology, politics, culture, poetry, climate action and global affairs—reflecting the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of storytelling today.
A literary lineup that pushes boundaries
JLF 2026 brings together some of the world’s most celebrated authors, visionaries and thought leaders. Booker Prize–winner Kiran Desai will discuss her critically acclaimed novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, exploring themes of class, race, identity and modern love. Gopalkrishna Gandhi will reflect on India’s journey from Partition to today through his works The Undying Light and India and Her Futures.
Adding to the festival’s international resonance, International Booker Prize 2025 winner Banu Mushtaq will discuss her powerful collection Heart Lamp, while global icon Stephen Fry brings his characteristic wit to a conversation on his creative life across stage, screen, literature and comedy.
Chess legend Viswanathan Anand will share insights from Lightning Kid, revisiting his early years and rise to becoming India’s first Grandmaster. Meanwhile, Sahitya Akademi Awardee K.R. Meera will dive into her impactful body of work that challenges power structures and social narratives.
Global voices shaping the future of thought
This year’s programme also features renowned global thinkers. Pulitzer Prize–winner Percival Everett will discuss James, his bold reimagination of Huckleberry Finn. Richard Flanagan brings his profound work Question 7, while Gaur Gopal Das explores fulfilment and mindful living in his latest book.
Tech conversations also take centre stage. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, will trace the digital era’s evolution in his book This Is For Everyone. Wikipedia Co-founder Jimmy Wales will discuss trust, transparency and the future of digital knowledge through The Seven Rules of Trust.
Panels will also feature historians, Nobel laureates and innovators, including Esther Duflo, Anne Applebaum, Stephen Greenblatt and Fredrik Logevall.
Celebrating poetry, art and new storytelling formats
In an exciting shift, JLF 2026 spotlights visual, poetic and graphic storytelling. Yoshitoki Ōima, Ujan Dutta and Abeer Kapoor will explore the influence of manga and graphic novels worldwide.
Poetry lovers can look forward to special sessions with Alice Oswald, Jeet Thayil, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha and Tamim Al-Barghouti, who will explore themes of landscape, memory and resistance.
Megha Majumdar will discuss her climate-crisis novel A Guardian and a Thief, while Ian Hislop brings sharp political satire from Private Eye.
A festival built on diversity, dialogue and new ideas
JLF’s co-founders emphasise the festival’s intellectual and cultural depth. Namita Gokhale describes the 19th edition as a celebration of multilingual voices, global diversity and the many ways in which literature reflects human experience. William Dalrymple calls this year’s edition “the most ambitious yet,” highlighting the extraordinary range of dialogues spanning geopolitics, AI, poetry, fiction and reimagined classics.
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, notes that with participants from more than 25 countries, JLF 2026 continues to champion cross-cultural exchange and meaningful conversation.
With its stellar lineup and expansive programming, the Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 promises five days of thought-provoking conversations, performances and creative discovery. As Jaipur prepares to welcome the world, JLF continues to stand as a living testament to the power of words, ideas and imagination—uniting audiences across ages, cultures and languages.
