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Complete Guide to the Jaipur Literature Festival
The Jaipur Literature Festival is the world’s largest free literature festival and one of the most prestigious. It attracts writers, scholars, critics, artists, and readers from all over the globe in a five-day celebration of the written word. I have been to the Jaipur Literature Festival about five or six times and it’s always fun, inspiring, and well worth the trip to India.
Each year, the festival attracts some of the most well-known and well-regarded authors and writers in India, and also from around the world. The writers come to speak, to read, to take part in panel discussions, and to be the subject of interviews. I have seen many of my favourite writers on stage including William Dalrymple (who is also one of the founders of JLF), Margaret Atwood, Paul Theroux, Ruskin Bond, V.S. Naipul, Elizabeth Gilbert, Simon Schama, Yuvan Aves and more including many Booker Prize Winners, Nobel Laureates, and Pulitzer Prize winners.
You can read my story about chasing travel writer Paul Theroux for an interview here.
And it’s not just a literature festival, it’s also a cultural festival. The Jaipur Music Stage treats audiences to world music, ghazals, jazz, and more.
JLF is also the home of Jaipur Bookmark, a publishing conclave running parallel to the Festival. Jaipur BookMark is India’s first business-to-business platform dedicated to the publishing landscape. It brings together publishers, editors, literary agents, authors, translators, booksellers, illustrators, designers, and rights managers from across the world, all under one roof.
The Jaipur Literature Festival is renowned for its democratic ethos, offering entry to all attendees and fostering intellectual dialogue on literature, art, poetry, music, religion, politics, environment, film, theatre, history, and culture.
About The Jaipur Literature Festival
The Jaipur Literature Festival was founded in 2006 by writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple. It took place at Diggi Palace, featured 18 speakers, and drew an audience of about 100 attendees, some of whom “appeared to be tourists who had simply got lost,” according to William Dalrymple.
Over the past 18 years, the Jaipur Literature Festival has grown exponentially and now attracts about 500 speakers and 300,000 attendees. It was held at Diggi Palace until 2022 when it shifted to Hotel Clarks Amer. The festival is organized by Teamwork Arts and the Jaipur Virasat Foundation.
Personally, I miss the Diggi Palace location, which was eccentric and charming, and in a more accessible location in the centre of Jaipur. However, the Hotel Clarks Amer has several distinct advantages including larger lawns and more space.
I have a lot of great memories of past Jaipur Literature Festival’s. Meeting chef Vikas Khanna on the media terrace was a delight, he is a lovely man. Sitting beside Elizabeth Gilbert at lunch and stick-handling all the young Indian women who wanted to meet her. Chatting with fellow Canadian Lisa Ray, which prompted me to read her memoir “Close to the Bone.” Discovering Yuvan Aves, a very talented and passionate naturalist and author from Chennai. Talking to Kai Bird about the Barb-enheimer phenomenon. Interviewing Zac O’Yeah, who is smart and funny, always a good combination for an interviewee. Finding Steve McCurry alone at a private party and talking to him about photography. And perhaps most of all, listening to my friend Jonaki Ray read her beautiful poetry just weeks after her father died.
At the Jaipur Literature Festival, you never know who you are going to meet, or feel inspired by, or end up hanging out with. It’s an amazing mashup of people, events, and opportunities to think, learn, imagine, and connect.
Top tips for visiting the Jaipur Literature Festival
The first thing you need to realize is the the Jaipur Literature Festival is huge. It sprawls across several lawns, is packed with events, and showcases hundreds of speakers. You need to get organized.
Tip #1: Book your hotel in advance
The Jaipur Literature Festival is popular and brings in huge crowds. It’s wise to book your hotel well in advance. Since the event moved to a new venue, Hotel Clarks Amer, it is no longer in central Jaipur. From the City Palace in the Pink City, it is 10 kilometres away. That doesn’t sound like much, but in traffic, it can take longer than you would imagine! The Jaipur Literature Festival is now held in the southern suburb of Sanganer, just 2.6 kilometres from the Jaipur International Airport.
So, your choice is to book a hotel near the venue, or in central Jaipur – where there are more hip cafes, good restaurants, great shops, and of course The Pink City and most of the tourist attractions (except Patrika Gate, which is actually near Hotel Carks Amer). Your decision will depend on whether you plan to spend most of your time at the Festival, or part of the time exploring the city.
The Jaipur Literature Festival has partnered with hotels that are close, or relatively close to the venue. There are some great benefits to staying at a partner hotel, including airport transfer, the use of a shuttle service, and the camaraderie of bonding with other festival goers and speakers.These benefits become increasingly more important as the Festival crowds arrive on the weekend, or if it pours rain, or any other inconveniences occur.
Tip #2: Study the programme.
Study the programme. It’s listed on the Jaipur Literature Festival website well in advance. You can search by day, as well as by theme and hall. If you want to see a particular author, click on Speakers and scroll or search. When you click on the speaker bio, you will find out when and where they are speaking.
Pick your priorities and plan your schedule around them. There is so much happening all the time, you will be distracted and miss crucial sessions if you don’t.
Same with the cultural programme. Look at the Jaipur Music Stage to find out what you want to see.
Tip #3: Memorize the venue
The Jaipur Literature Festival sprawls. My best advice is to go on Thursday, when it opens in the morning, and walk around the grounds.
Among the many halls, there are outdoor lawns such as the Front Lawn and Charbagh, indoor halls such as Durbar Hall and Surya Mahal, and smaller halls at the back, behind the hotel, as well as dedicated zones for the book stalls, the festival bazaar (yes, you can shop at the Jaipur Literature Festival!), and food courts.
Get to know where every hall is located and the fastest route to get there. You may have to sprint to get from one session to another, and when the venue is packed with people, it will help to know the fastest route.
Last year, I found a much quicker route from the front lawn to the back halls by going through the food court, as an example.
Tip #4: Become a Friend
Consider becoming a Friend of the Festival. Prices range from about $150 USD to $200 USD per day, depending on the day, to attend the Festival with a VIP pass that offers you many benefits including a private lounge with lunch and dinner, entry to the Jaipur Music Stage, plus specially curated events such as the Heritage Evening at the magnificent Amer Fort and the Writers’ Ball at the Leela Palace.
The closing night Writers’ Ball is one of the most fun nights of the Jaipur Literature Festival, and the Heritage Evening is magical. These are not to be missed.
Tip: #5: Essentials: Transportation, clothing, water
It’s cool in Jaipur in late January and early February. You will need layers. It may be sunny and warm in the afternoon but mornings and evenings can get surprisingly chilly. Rain is rare, but it has been known to happen.
Carry a reusable water bottle with you. There will be filling stations and you will need it. The Jaipur Literature Festival is a marathon! And sometimes it’s too crowded to get to the food courts and back before your session starts. I carry a tote bag with water, tissue, protein bars, and a warm shawl.
Transportation to and from Hotel Clarks Amer is not easy. The taxis will use surge pricing, if you can get a taxi at all. Try to arrange a car to drop you off and pick you up in advance. Or stay at a partner hotel and use the free shuttle service.
Tip #6: Avoid the weekend to avoid crowds
The Jaipur Literature Festival starts on Thursday, and I have found Thursday and Friday to be the best days to enjoy the Festival. Local crowds and students show up in droves on the weekend, especially Sunday.
Tip #7: Budgeting (based on 2025 prices)
You can spend as little as $500 USD ($100 USD per day) to visit the Jaipur Literature Festival if you do it as cheaply as possible:
- $50 USD per day for a hostel or inexpensive hotel,
- $10 USD per day on autoricksaw transportation,
- $30 USD on food and incidentals, and
- $10 USD for attending (200 INR for general registration and 499 INR for Jaipur Music Stage).
On the high end, you can spend about $1,260 USD – $1,960 USD to do it as comfortably and conveniently as possible:
- 78,000 INR (approximately $860 USD) on a Friends of the Festival pass for all 5 days,
- $80 – $220 USD per night for a JLF partner hotel,
- Food and transportation is included in Friends of the Festival pass.
Tip #8: Get the best seat in the house
And let’s give the last word to co-founder William Dalrymple, who tells us why we can’t miss the Jaipur Literature Festival and how to get the best seat in the house!
You can find all the information you need on the Jaipur Literature Festival website, including how to register. Plan ahead, through yourself into the melee, and most of all have fun!
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