Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 witnesses discourse that sparks change and inspires reflection

The much-anticipated 19th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival brought together some of the most influential voices from literature, politics, media, and culture across India and the world. The Festival will run till January 19th, continuing its legacy as a vibrant platform for dialogue, debate, and the free exchange of ideas. The opening day set the tone for five days of thought-provoking conversations, powerful storytelling, and meaningful engagement with contemporary issues.

The opening day featured a keynote address by Banu Mushtaq, followed by inaugural addresses by writers and Festival Co-directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, and Festival Producer Sanjoy K. Roy. A traditional lamp-lighting ceremony marked an auspicious start in the presence of Rajasthan’s chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Deputy Chief Ministers Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa.

The opening session featured International Booker prize winner Banu Mushtaq in conversation with Moutushi Mukherjee. Mustaq emphasised writing as an act of survival and resistance in societies marked by inequality and erasure. Framing literature as inseparable from life, she noted that her accolades, including the International Booker Prize 2025, reinforce her social responsibility. She advised young writers: “Don’t just plan writing, start writing. Write, write, and write.”

Legendary poet, lyricist, and public intellectual Javed Akhtar drew packed audiences in Javed Akhtar: Points of View, in conversation with Warisha Farasat, sharing the changes in post-independent cultures, the middle class in India, and the role of writers and poets in society. To the young minds present in the audience, he said that there will always be people in the world who are better than you. His guiding words of encouragement urged them to look within themselves for inspiration instead of competing with others. In a session where global histories and shared futures formed the focus of Coexistence: How Arabs and Jews Can Live Together, featuring historians Ussama Makdisi, Noa Avishag Schnall, and Avi Shlaim, in conversation with William Sieghart, the panellists offered perspectives on memory, reconciliation, and coexistence.

Among other highlight sessions was The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, where Booker Prize-winning author Kiran Desai was in conversation with Nandini Nair. Desai spoke about her Booker shortlisted novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, offering rare insight into her writing life, creative discipline, and the emotional core of the book. The session moved fluidly between craft, memory, and the many meanings of loneliness that shape Desai’s fiction.

The Festival also hosted The Undying Light: India’s Futures, featuring diplomat and author Gopalkrishna Gandhi in conversation with Narayani Basu, offering a deeply reflective exploration of India’s moral imagination, democracy, and the road ahead. Philanthropist Shalini Passi, who was in conversation with Ruchika Mehta, offered reflections on creativity, self-expression, and contemporary culture. Issues of credibility and truth in the digital age were addressed in The Seven Rules of Trust, where Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, was in conversation with journalist Anita Anand, discussing transparency, accountability, and the evolving nature of information. Wales discussed the role of social media algorithms in amplifying hostility by promoting aggressive and emotionally charged content, framing political disagreement as a moral threat rather than a democratic difference. Despite these challenges, he expressed cautious optimism, emphasising that societies have historically managed ideological differences through compromise when systems are perceived as fair._______________________________________
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