Books and Authors
Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 Kicks Off with Star-Studded Delhi Preview
The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) 2026, presented by Vedanta, officially set the tone for its 19th edition with a prestigious Delhi Preview held on December 17 at The Leela Palace, New Delhi. Produced by Teamwork Arts, the preview offered an early look at what promises to be one of the Festival’s most expansive and ambitious editions yet.
Widely celebrated as the “greatest literary show on earth,” the Jaipur Literature Festival will return from January 15 to 19, 2026, at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur, continuing its legacy as a global platform for literature, ideas, debate, and cultural exchange.
A Truly Global Line-Up of Voices
The 2026 edition brings together an extraordinary constellation of writers, thinkers, artists, policymakers, and cultural leaders from across the world. The announced line-up includes Anne Applebaum, Esther Duflo, Tim Berners-Lee, Stephen Fry, Javed Akhtar, Sudha Murty, Vir Das, Vishwanathan Anand, Richard Flanagan, Nicholas Stern, Alice Oswald, Percival Everett, Kiran Desai, Emma Thompson, and Leo Varadkar, among many others.
From Nobel laureates and pioneering scientists to poets, performers, historians, and philosophers, JLF 2026 promises conversations that span geopolitics, artificial intelligence, literature, climate change, humanities, and the creative arts, reinforcing its reputation as one of the world’s most influential festivals of ideas.
Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 -William Dalrymple, Namita Gokhale, Sanjo K. Roy
Inclusivity, Accessibility, and Book Publishing at the Core
Inclusivity remains central to the Festival’s ethos. In collaboration with Nupur Sansthan, JLF 2026 will offer sign language interpretation, ensuring wider accessibility and a more inclusive experience for diverse audiences.
Running alongside the Festival, Jaipur BookMark, South Asia’s leading publishing conclave, marks its 13th edition with a focus on Marathi language publishing, translation, storytelling innovations, and the evolving role of AI in publishing. With the Royal Norwegian Embassy as Country Partner and continued collaboration with the British Council’s India–UK Publishing Fellowship, Jaipur BookMark continues to foster international exchange among independent publishers.
Music, Culture, and the Jaipur Experience
Expanding the Festival’s cultural footprint, the Jaipur Music Stage returns from January 15 to 17, showcasing contemporary and genre-blending performances. At the Delhi Preview, audiences were treated to a soulful performance by Nizami Bandhu, the celebrated Qawwali singers of the Sikandra Gharana, adding a powerful musical dimension to the evening.
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A Festival of Ideas for a Changing World
Speaking at the preview, William Dalrymple, Co-Founder and Festival Co-Director, described JLF 2026 as potentially the Festival’s “most ambitious yet,” bringing together some of the finest minds on the planet in a spirit of genuine intellectual encounter. Namita Gokhale, Co-Founder and Co-Director, echoed this sentiment, calling the Festival an “annual pilgrimage for lovers of literature” in a time of profound global change.
As it approaches its 19th year, the Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 stands poised to once again transform Jaipur into the epicentre of global literary and intellectual dialogue.
