Jaipur Literature Festival expands to seven cities

# Jaipur Literature Festival Takes Its Biggest North American Leap With Seven-City 2026 Tour

The Jaipur Literature Festival is set to significantly expand its presence in North America in 2026, taking its global literary platform to seven cities across the United States and Canada. JLF USA and JLF Toronto will bring the festival to audiences from September 11 through October 4, creating a month-long cultural program that combines literature with conversations on some of the biggest issues shaping the modern world. Produced by Teamwork Arts, the expanded program will include established editions in North Carolina, Seattle, Colorado, New York and Houston, while Los Angeles and Toronto will make their debut on the JLF North American map.

The expansion reflects the festival’s growing international reach and its effort to connect writers and thinkers with diverse audiences beyond India. The 2026 editions will feature a broad mix of authors, historians, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, academics, artists and business leaders. Among the prominent names scheduled to participate are Shashi Tharoor, Shekhar Kapur, Yann Martel, Scott Anderson, Priya Anand, Vijay Seshadri, Tanya Talaga, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Kai Bird and Caroline Elkins. The wider lineup includes 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.

Rather than focusing exclusively on books and authors, the festival will explore a wide range of subjects connected to contemporary society. Artificial intelligence, emerging technology, geopolitics, migration, diaspora, climate change, Indigenous rights, entrepreneurship, faith, food and the arts will all feature in the discussions. Speakers will bring different perspectives to these subjects, creating a program that connects literary conversations with global affairs and changing social realities.

Historical and geopolitical discussions will feature voices such as Tharoor, Kai Bird and Caroline Elkins, while Yann Martel, Scott Anderson, Vijay Seshadri and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni will add perspectives from the literary world. Tanya Talaga will contribute Indigenous perspectives to the Colorado edition, adding another important dimension to the festival’s programming. One of the defining features of the 2026 expansion will be the focus on local communities. Organizers say each edition will be shaped by the cultural character of its host city, with local partnerships and venues playing an important role in creating distinct experiences.

In New York, programs will take place at venues including Asia Society, The National Arts Club and The Center for Fiction. Toronto will host the festival’s first Canadian edition on September 25 and 26, marking an important step in JLF’s expansion beyond the United States. Los Angeles will also become part of the network for the first time, with its edition scheduled from September 14 to 16. The seven-city schedule will begin in North Carolina from September 11 to 13 before moving to Los Angeles from September 14 to 16 and Seattle from September 17 to 20.

The festival will then travel to Colorado on September 22 and 23, followed by Toronto on September 25 and 26, New York on September 29 and 30, and Houston from October 2 to 4. Alongside literary discussions, audiences in Los Angeles and Seattle will also have an opportunity to experience a traveling visual art exhibition by documentary photographer Vicky Roy. The North American expansion comes as the Jaipur Literature Festival prepares to celebrate its 20th edition in Jaipur from January 14 to 18, 2027. JLF’s international presence already extends beyond India through programs in countries including the UK, Ireland and Spain.

The addition of Los Angeles and Toronto strengthens that global network and gives the festival access to new literary and cultural communities. With its seven-city schedule, diverse lineup and focus on subjects ranging from books to artificial intelligence and geopolitics, the 2026 North American program is positioning JLF as more than a literature festival. It is becoming a platform for global dialogue, bringing together different generations, cultures and professional backgrounds to discuss ideas influencing the future. The expansion also highlights the growing international appetite for Indian-origin cultural platforms that can connect local audiences with global voices.

As JLF continues to build its international network, the 2026 North American tour represents another major step in transforming a Jaipur-based literary gathering into a worldwide cultural conversation.