Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) 2026: What to expect from the 19th edition
From Hindi and Rajasthani voices to global thinkers, JLF 2026 blends regional culture with worldwide ideas.
Last Updated:
JLF 2026 schedule announced
Jaipur: Jaipur is set to reclaim its place as a global meeting point for ideas when the 19th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) opens on January 15 at Hotel Clarks Amer. Organised by Teamwork Arts, the festival will run with a renewed emphasis on Indian languages and local cultural traditions, alongside its trademark international conversations.
This year, JLF places special attention on Hindi literature, Rajasthani voices and regional storytelling traditions. The curatorial approach aims to deepen the festival’s connection with India’s linguistic diversity, bringing local narratives into dialogue with global themes such as democracy, technology, culture and creativity.
A truly global speaker lineup
JLF 2026 will host an expansive roster of writers, poets, thinkers, policy experts and artists from India and abroad. Among the prominent names are Javed Akhtar, Sudha Murty, Kiran Desai, Stephen Fry, Tim Berners-Lee, Vir Das, Viswanathan Anand and Jimmy Wales.
The festival will also feature Gopalkrishna Gandhi, along with voices like Gaur Gopal Das, Anne Applebaum, Arvind Subramanian, D.Y. Chandrachud, Esther Duflo, Richard Flanagan, Edward Luce, Leo Varadkar, Gaj Singh, Anuradha Roy, Megha Majumdar, Percival Everett and Nicholas Stern, reflecting a wide spectrum of literary, legal, economic and political thought.
Poetry, publishing and cultural dialogue
Reinforcing its literary roots, JLF 2026 will highlight Hindi and regional-language writing through readings, discussions and awards. The Kanhaiyalal Sethia Poetry Award 2026 will honour outstanding contributions to poetry, selected by a jury that includes Namita Gokhale, Sukrita Paul Kumar, Ranjit Hoskote and Siddharth Sethia.
Running alongside the festival, Jaipur BookMark enters its 13th edition with discussions on Marathi publishing, translation practices and the growing role of artificial intelligence in publishing.
Music and mornings at JLF
Beyond literature, the festival experience will be enriched by performances at the Jaipur Music Stage and Morning Music sessions, showcasing Indian classical, folk and contemporary music. These events are designed to complement literary conversations with live cultural expression.
With its blend of regional depth and global reach, JLF 2026 promises not just a festival of books, but a broad cultural exchange rooted in Jaipur’s evolving identity as an international ideas hub
