The Jaipur Literature Festival will expand to seven cities in the U.S. and Canada in 2026, featuring prominent writers and cultural figures in a series of discussions.
The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) is set to broaden its North American footprint in 2026, with events planned in seven cities across the United States and Canada. This expansion is part of the festival’s ongoing mission to foster literary dialogue and cultural exchange.
Scheduled to take place from September 11 to October 4, the festival will be produced by Teamwork Arts and will include established editions in North Carolina, Seattle, Colorado, New York, and Houston. Notably, Los Angeles and Toronto will join the lineup for the first time, marking a significant growth in the festival’s reach.
This year’s program promises to bring together a diverse array of voices, including writers, historians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Discussions will cover a wide range of topics, such as literature, geopolitics, technology, business, history, and the arts.
Among the notable participants are acclaimed figures such as Shashi Tharoor, Shekhar Kapur, Yann Martel, Scott Anderson, Priya Anand, Vijay Seshadri, Tanya Talaga, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Kai Bird, and Caroline Elkins. Their contributions will enrich the festival’s exploration of contemporary issues.
The expanded lineup also features a variety of other distinguished speakers, including Manil Suri, Mahmood Mamdani, Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, John Vaillant, Martin Puchner, Sam Dalrymple, Vinita Gupta, Vikram Vij, Devesh Kapur, Arvind Subramanian, Lakshmi Puri, Daniel Peña, Kanwal Rekhi, Sonia Reemes, and Nitin Seth.
The 2026 festival will delve into pressing societal issues such as artificial intelligence, technology, geopolitics, migration, diaspora, climate change, Indigenous rights, faith, entrepreneurship, art, and food. Tharoor, Bird, and Elkins will provide historical and geopolitical insights, while Martel, Anderson, Seshadri, and Divakaruni will offer literary perspectives. Additionally, Talaga will highlight Indigenous viewpoints during the Colorado edition.
Each festival edition will be tailored to reflect the unique character and cultural communities of its host city. Local partnerships and venues will play a crucial role in shaping the programs, ensuring that each stop is a culturally rooted event.
In New York, the festival will utilize multiple venues, including Asia Society, The National Arts Club, and The Center for Fiction. The inaugural Canadian edition in Toronto is scheduled for September 25 and 26, while Los Angeles will host its first JLF from September 14 to 16. This expansion into Toronto further extends the festival’s reach beyond the U.S.
The seven-city schedule kicks off in North Carolina from September 11 to 13, followed by Los Angeles from September 14 to 16, Seattle from September 17 to 20, Colorado from September 22 to 23, Toronto from September 25 to 26, New York from September 29 to 30, and finally Houston from October 2 to 4. The program will also feature a traveling visual art exhibition by documentary photographer Vicky Roy in both Los Angeles and Seattle.
This North American expansion precedes the 20th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival, which is set to take place in Jaipur from January 14 to 18, 2027. JLF USA is part of the festival’s broader international presence, which also includes programs in the UK, Ireland, Spain, and other locations, further solidifying its role as a global platform for literary dialogue.
According to The American Bazaar, the Jaipur Literature Festival continues to be a vital space for cultural exchange and discussion, fostering connections among diverse communities through the power of literature.