Now Reading: Jaipur LitFest US, Canada editions to feature over 100 voices
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Jaipur LitFest US, Canada editions to feature over 100 voices
The US and Canadian editions of the Jaipur Literature Festival will bring together over 100 writers, thinkers and artists across seven cities from September 11 to October 4, organisers said on Tuesday. The programme, the festival's largest North American presence yet, includes author-politician Shashi Tharoor, Pulitzer winner Kai Bird, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and economist Arvind Subramanian.
Discussions will cover artificial intelligence, geopolitics, climate change, migration, Indigenous rights and food. The seven-city tour begins in North Carolina and stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Colorado, Toronto, New York and Houston. Los Angeles and Toronto host the festival for the first time. A travelling exhibition of documentary photographer Vicky Roy's work will be shown in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Teamwork Arts, which produces the festival, said around 65% of programming is non-fiction. Each city's programme is built around local audiences and institutions. The Jaipur Literature Festival, held annually in Jaipur, began its international editions in London in 2014. Its 20th edition is planned for Jaipur in 2027.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Jaipur Literature Festival's international expansion mirrors a broader push by Indian cultural institutions to build soft-power bridges with the diaspora. The choice of seven cities, including two debut venues, reflects targeted outreach to South Asian communities in tech hubs (Seattle, Los Angeles) and policy centres (New York, Toronto). With 65% of content non-fiction, the programming leans heavily on contemporary geopolitics and tech disruption, themes that resonate with a professional diaspora audience. The festival's growth from a single London edition in 2014 to a multi-city North American tour shows a deliberate scaling strategy. The next signal to watch is attendance figures across the new host cities, which will indicate whether local audiences match the organisers' ambitions.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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