Jaipur Literature Festival

The Jaipur Literature Festival programmes writers, translators, historians, scientists and musicians across parallel stages over several days each winter. It has grown from a small strand of a wider arts festival into one of the largest literary gatherings anywhere, and it has kept free general admission throughout — you register, and you walk in.

The programme runs in multiple Indian languages alongside English, with a sustained emphasis on translation, and sessions overlap heavily. Regulars plan a route through the day rather than trying to see everything. Alongside the talks there is a bookshop, signings, and a music stage in the evenings.

Jaipur in January is cold in the early morning and pleasant by midday, and the festival sits well alongside the city itself — Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, the City Palace and the old walled bazaars are all close by.

Dates and the venue have both moved over the years, and the full programme is published shortly beforehand.