This year’s announcement introduces an array of authors, thinkers, and artists who represent a rich variety of perspectives and disciplines. The confirmed names include Senior Physicist at CERN Geneva Archana Sharma; former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India Arvind Subramanian; Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo; Nobel Prize-winning economist Tanya Talaga; former Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar; noted art historian and curator Debra Diamond; editor of Private Eye and renowned satirist Ian Hislop; celebrated poet and novelist Jeet Thayil; Booker Prize-winning author Kiran Desai; award-winning nature poet Alice Oswald; art critic and broadcaster Andrew Graham-Dixon; bestselling novelist Ashwin Sanghi; pathbreaking writer Kunzang Choden Roder; historian and biographer Narayani Basu; acclaimed nutritionist and author Rujuta Diwekar; award-winning writer and chronicler of the Himalaya Stephen Alter; disability rights activist and writer Tarini Mohan; literary advocate and publisher William Sieghart; and Telugu feminist writer Volga.

Namita Gokhale, Co-Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, shared: “Come January, the greatest literature festival on earth returns to Jaipur! It provides a crucial cross-fertilisation of ideas and literary narratives in our fractured world. The multilingual lineup of writers and speakers is as diverse and eclectic as ever, showcasing the best of recent writing from across the Indian languages and the globe. With themes that are classic, radical, and timeless, the 19th edition of our festival provides windows to many worlds and glimpses into the future.”

William Dalrymple, Co-Director, added: “This year we present one of our most extraordinary line-ups since the festival began, including many of the world’s most celebrated writers, thinkers, poets and satirists. Do not miss Jaipur ’26- it’s going to be completely astonishing.”

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, said: “The Jaipur Literature Festival is more than an event; it’s a celebration of free expression, diversity, and the power of narrative to build bridges. As we approach our 19th edition, we’re proud to offer a platform where voices from around the world can engage, inspire, and transform audiences through the art of storytelling.”

Priya Agarwal, Director, Vedanta Resources, said: “At Vedanta, our partnership with the Jaipur Literature Festival reflects our belief that when creativity and conversation come together, they can shape a more connected and compassionate world. As the Festival enters its 19th edition, we are proud to support a platform that celebrates diverse voices and the timeless power of storytelling to drive progress.”

Alongside its literary sessions, Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 will present a diverse programme including the much-loved Heritage Evenings, set against the historic backdrop of Jaipur, featuring music, poetry, and performance. The Jaipur Music Stage will showcase leading Indian and international musicians in performance alongside the festival. The industry-focused Jaipur BookMark (JBM) will once again provide a premier platform for publishers, agents, authors, and other stakeholders to network and collaborate. Now in its 19th year, the Jaipur Literature Festival remains committed to being an accessible, inclusive space where writers, thinkers, and audiences come together to celebrate ideas and the universal love for stories.

For further information on the festival, please visit: https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/

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PUNE: The fifth edition of the Deccan Literature Festival, organized by the Dakani Adab Foundation, is all set to take place on 16th and 17th November from 11 am to 11 pm, at the Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir on Jangli Maharaj Road, Pune. The festival entry is free for all on a first come first served basis though, those interested in attending are encouraged to register in advance on the foundation’s website.

Acclaimed actor, director, screenwriter, and producer Mahesh Manjrekar will inaugurate the festival on Saturday, November 16th, at 11 a.m. at Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir. Dignitaries, including Rahul Ranjan Mahival, IAS, and former President of Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan Laxmikant Deshmukh, EX-IAS, will be present. Moreover, the event will feature the unveiling of Rahul Ranjan Mahival’s book, ‘Jashn-e-Deewangi’.

Elaborating on the program details, Jayram Kulkarni – Director of Dakani Adab Foundation said, “This year’s Deccan Literature Festival promises a lineup of engaging programs, including mushairas (Urdu poetic symposium), interviews, panel discussions, plays, and musical performances. We aim to create a platform for renowned and emerging artists to showcase their talent to an enthusiastic audience.”

Festival curator Monika Singh said, “The growing response to the festival each year only enhances our enthusiasm. In its fifth year, the festival will celebrate literature not only in Marathi but also in Hindi and Urdu. This year, audiences can look forward to a vibrant array of literature, poetry, theatre, discussions, music, ghazals, and mushairas featuring renowned artists.”

On day one, post the inauguration, there will be an open interview of Mahesh Manjrekar as part of the “Beyond the Lens’ program by Milind Kulkarni. This will be followed by a coffee-table talk with actors Pankaj Jha and Dhanshree Heblikar titled ‘Tumhara Milna Zaroori Tha Tumhare Liye’
 
At 3.30 pm the ‘Festival of Poetry- Kavitecha Rangotsav’ will commence, featuring Marathi poets Dr. Pradnya Daya Pawar, Indrajit Bhalerao, Neerja, Kalpana Dudhal, Aaba Patil, Ajay Kandar, Abhay Dani, Felix D’Souza, and Anjali Dhamal, with Indrajit Ghule as the moderator.

The evening will continue with a reading of the play ‘Final D.R.A.F.T.’ at 5.45 pm. The play is written by Girish Joshi, with editing, direction, and music by Padmanabh Pathak. Actors Adv. Sujata Pathak and Dr. Dilip Ghare will participate. At 7 pm., the ‘Poetry of Youngistan’ program will feature poets such as Abhisar Shukla, Amritesh Babu, Murari Mandal, Numan Siddiqui, Vineet Shankar, Simran Khurana, Amar Yaduvanshi, and Mujtaba Shahroz. The day will conclude with ‘Rang- Grand Mushaira’, starting at 8 pm, showcasing poets Rajesh Reddy, Shakeel Azmi, Khan Shamim, Rahul Ranjan Mahival, Monika Singh, Dr. Nusrat Mehendi, Shakeel Jamali, Salim Siddiqui, and other notable voices from across the country.

The second day of the festival will begin at 10 am with a performance of the play ‘Chauthi Cigarette’, written by Yogesh Tripathi, which received the Mohan Rakesh Award in 2019. Yuvraj Shah is the producer, with Dhanshree Heblikar as the artistic director and Abhijit as the director. At 12.30 pm, the audience will be able to enjoy an engaging conversation with renowned author Durjoy Datta as part of the ‘Love, Life, and Literature’ session by author Sudha Menon. This will be followed by the discussion panel with authors Kiran Manral, Tanushree Poddar, Sudha Menon, and actress Vibhavari Deshpande as a part of the ‘Devi, Diya or She-Devil’ session by Saloni Mistry

The afternoon will feature ‘Tridhara’, a Marathi literature dialogue, at 3.30 pm, with author Monika Gajendragadkar, Sangram Gaikwad, and Krishnat Khot, moderated by Datta Gholap. At 5:00 p.m., audiences can enjoy ‘Dastangoi’, a unique storytelling session based on tales from the Mahabharata, performed by Fauzia Dastango. This will be followed by ‘Uljhe Alfaaz Ki Sargoshiyan’, a session with Psyco-Shayar aka Abhi Munde. The festival will conclude with a soulful Sufi evening, ‘Mauko Kahan Dhoonde Re Bande…’, performed by renowned Sufi singer Meer Mukhtiyar Ali.

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Vaibhav Paliwal, organizer, and owner of Nukkad Café said that Pune’s World Book Day is a one-of-a-kind book celebration that represents changing eras and evolving generations. Pune’s World Book Day event honors the written word by providing a venue for people to share their tales, discover different viewpoints, and cultivate a love of reading. The entire initiative is also driven by Pune’s writers and authors and the team consists of key members named Sonali Rasal, Preeta Bhuyan, Aman Rajabali, and Bhupesh Mahajan.

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Making reading inclusive, the Pitara is not just a learning tool; it’s a transformative experience. Featuring diverse tools such as large font, sensory, quiet, and behavioral books, and tactile devices tailored for special needs, the initiative addresses the unique requirements of visually impaired children and those with learning disabilities. Crafted with Universal Design principles, each Sugamya Qissa Pitara is flexible, safe, and easy to use, featuring vibrant, artist-created furniture that adds an inclusive touch to the learning environment.

Talking about the initiative, Manish Tayal, Director, of the JCB Literature Foundation, said, “This is a milestone moment for us at the JCB Literature Foundation, not just because it’s being done for the first time- an accessible resource center for those with special needs, but because of the impact such a project has on the lives of people. The project is not just aimed at making the lives of children easier, but also that of the parents, primary caregivers, and educators. We have piloted this project in Delhi, Jaipur, Baroda, and now in Pune in the first year and hope to take this forward in more locations in the future.”

Extending beyond the classroom, Sugamya Qissa Pitara supports parents and caregivers with new books, activity sheets, and specialized training by Inclusive Learning Experts. Specially crafted caregivers’ manuals in Hindi and English provide invaluable insights and support for fostering effective learning environments at home.

According to UNESCO, there are more than 78 lakh children with disabilities in India between 5-19 years. While 61% of them were attending an educational institution, about 12% had dropped out and 27% had never been to school at all. Recognizing the urgent need for inclusivity and accessible education, this initiative aims to bring joy and accessibility to education for children with special needs across the country. With a shared vision of empowering every child, this innovative learning solution seeks to bridge gaps and create a more inclusive reading landscape.

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