Jaipur Literature Festival

The Jaipur Literature Festival is a large public literary gathering held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, bringing together authors, poets, thinkers, translators, publishers, artists and readers. Its programme ranges across literature and related subjects including history, culture, science, society and the arts.

Alongside author conversations and discussions, the festival features readings, book launches, performances, publishing programmes, music and spaces for books and cultural exchange.

• January — The main festival is generally held during the winter season.
• Five-day programme — Sessions and cultural activities usually run across several consecutive days.

Literary exchange — The festival creates a public space where writers and readers can discuss books, writing, languages and ideas.

Dialogue — Conversations bring together different disciplines and perspectives, allowing literature to connect with history, science, society, politics, art and culture.

Access to ideas — Public sessions, readings and book-related activities make literary discussion accessible to a broad audience rather than limiting it to professional literary circles.

The festival emerged from Jaipur's wider heritage and cultural programming and developed into a dedicated literary gathering associated with writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple and producer Teamwork Arts. Its early home was Diggi Palace, where literary sessions grew into a much larger public festival.

As attendance and programming expanded, the festival developed additional platforms for publishing, music and cultural activities. It subsequently moved its main programme to Hotel Clarks Amer, while the festival's wider identity continued to connect literature with Jaipur's cultural setting.

On site — Visitors move between parallel sessions, listening to authors, attending discussions, watching readings and exploring book-related spaces.

On stage — Speakers participate in conversations, panels, lectures, readings and launches covering a broad range of subjects.

Beyond literature — Music performances, publishing activities, art installations, food spaces and cultural programming extend the festival experience beyond formal literary sessions.

The festival typically opens with a programme of talks and conversations, followed by multiple sessions running in parallel throughout the day. Visitors can choose between author discussions, poetry and readings, thematic panels, book launches and other cultural activities. Later in the day, music and performance programmes provide an additional part of the festival's public programme.

Jaipur — The main festival takes place in Jaipur and is closely connected with the city's literary, architectural and cultural setting. Local food, crafts and Rajasthani visual traditions often form part of the visitor experience.

International editions — The JLF name has also been used for related literary events outside India, where programmes are adapted to local audiences while retaining a focus on books, ideas and dialogue.

• Author conversations and panel discussions
• Poetry and literary readings
• Book launches and signings
• Publishing and rights discussions
• Morning and evening cultural performances
• Browsing and buying books at festival book spaces

Books — Represent reading, storytelling, knowledge and the central role of literature.

Open discussion spaces — Reflect the festival's emphasis on conversation, debate and the exchange of ideas.

Rajasthani textiles and décor — Connect the literary programme with Jaipur's regional artistic and craft traditions.

Festival stages — Provide shared public spaces for conversations, readings, performances and cultural exchange.

• The Jaipur Literature Festival is an annual five-day literary gathering in Jaipur.
• Its programme brings together participants from literature as well as fields such as history, science, politics, art and culture.
• Diggi Palace was the festival's historic early venue before the main programme moved to Hotel Clarks Amer.
• Jaipur BookMark operates alongside the festival as a publishing-focused platform.
• The Jaipur Music Stage adds live music and performance programming to the wider festival experience.
• The JLF name has been extended through related literary editions and events in several countries outside India.