Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 Confirms Final Line-Up of Speakers for Nineteenth Edition

Jaipur Literature Festival Releases Final Speaker List

The Jaipur Literature Festival has announced the final set of speakers for its nineteenth edition, scheduled to be held from January 15 to January 19, 2026, at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur. The Festival states that this announcement completes its list of authors, experts and practitioners from India and overseas.

The line-up includes Festival Co-Directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, along with participants such as Amish Tripathi, Anuradha Roy, Anne Applebaum, Alice Oswald, Daisy Rockwell, Deepa Bhasthi, Esther Freud, Jeet Thayil, Kiran Desai, Marie Darrieussecq, Megha Majumdar, Neige Sinno, Richard Flanagan, Ruchir Joshi, Sonya Rhie Mace, Sumana Chandrashekar and Tamim Al-Barghouti. Economists Arvind Subramanian and Esther Duflo have been listed alongside policymakers Nicholas Stern, Radoslaw Sikorski and Abhishek Singh.

Historians and biographers named for the event include Alex von Tunzelmann, Fredrik Logevall, Alka Patel, Ella Al-Shamahi, Janina Ramirez, Jos Gommans, Fara Dabhoiwala, Avi Shlaim, Eric Chopra and Devesh Kapur.

Participants from science, cultural history and journalism include Archana Sharma, Luke Coutinho, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Laura Spinney, Timothy Berners-Lee, Rachel Clarke and Bhawana Somaaya. The Festival will also feature academics, art curators and art historians such as Debra Diamond, Andrew Graham-Dixon, Helen Molesworth, Mace, Priyambada Jayakumar, Marcia Langton, Herald van der Linde and Ivo de Figuerido, along with Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.

Representatives from fields including business, nutrition and digital culture include Rujuta Diwekar, Pernia Qureshi and Ramita Navai. The list also includes sports and cultural personalities such as Viswanathan Anand, Vir Das, Stephen Fry and Maharaja Gaj Singh of Marwar-Jodhpur. Political and social commentators such as Leo Varadkar, Karan Singh, Thant Myint-U and Vandana Vasudevan are also part of the line-up. Voices from journalism and literature include Sudha Murty, Ian Hislop, Harleen Singh and Scott Anderson. Gaur Gopal Das joins the Festival’s list of speakers in the category of motivational and spiritual commentary.

Gokhale said, “Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 captures the spectrum of human imagination - from the poetic to the intellectual, the political to the personal. Each voice in this gathering adds a texture to our shared celebration of ideas, creativity, and the written word. The festival remains a convergence of stories that connect us across languages, histories, and continents.”

Dalrymple added, “This year’s Jaipur Literature Festival brings together an extraordinary constellation of minds, historians, poets, thinkers, and storytellers from across the world. It’s an astonishing reminder of the power of ideas to inspire, provoke, and transform. I can’t wait for Jaipur to once again become the vibrant crossroads of global thought and conversation.”

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, said, “With the final speakers confirmed, the 2026 edition reaffirms its place as a global platform where creativity, discourse, and cultural exchange converge. This year’s Festival offers a unique opportunity to engage, inspire, and celebrate the transformative power of storytelling.”

Alongside its literary sessions, Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 will include the Jaipur Music Stage, Heritage Evenings and the thirteenth edition of Jaipur BookMark. These programmes will offer performances, cultural showcases and opportunities for industry networking. The Festival notes its ongoing aim to remain accessible and inclusive for writers, audiences and professionals engaging with contemporary ideas and literature.

The Festival will take place from January 15 to January 19, 2026, at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur. Further information is available on the official website.