Jaipur Literary Competition USA concluded its Seattle version and made its Los Angeles debut in September, bringing writers, historians, diplomats, artists and cultural voices collectively for conversations on literature, historical past, tradition and concepts.
JLF Seattle 2026 was held from Sept. 17 to twenty, bringing collectively authors, lecturers, thinkers and professionals for discussions spanning literature, historical past, geopolitics, mythology, id and the altering world.
The Seattle program featured audio system together with Yann Martel, Scott Anderson, Caroline Elkins, Sonora Jha, Lakshmi Puri, Devesh Kapur and photographer Vicky Roy, alongside writers and lecturers from totally different disciplines. Among the many highlights was veteran conflict correspondent and writer Scott Anderson in dialog with Aria Fani about his e-book “King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution.” The dialogue examined the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the autumn of the Shah and the revolution’s persevering with impression practically 5 many years later.
READ: JLF Los Angeles examines the New World Order (August 13, 2026)
Yann Martel was in dialog with author Kristen Millares Younger about “Son of No one: A Novel in Footnotes.” Their dialogue explored Martel’s retelling of the Trojan Battle and his method to combining classical mythology with a up to date narrative.
Historical past and empire have been additionally central to Caroline Elkins’ dialog with Sam Dalrymple about “Legacy of Violence: A Historical past of the British Empire.” Elkins examined British imperial rule and the methods of violence related to the empire, in addition to their persevering with relevance to debates about its legacy.
Pictures and private expertise featured in “The place the Streets Have No Identify,” with Vicky Roy in dialog with Sanjoy Okay. Roy.
READ: Writer Chandrani Ghosh spotlights Heartlines at inaugural Jaipur Literature Competition (JLF) New York Writer Highlight Sequence (July 20, 2026)
Roy, who spent a part of his childhood dwelling on the streets of Delhi, went on to change into an acclaimed photographer and was amongst 4 photographers from all over the world chosen to doc the reconstruction of the World Commerce Middle following the September 11, 2001, assaults. Twenty-five years after the assaults, the dialog revisited Roy’s first worldwide exhibition, titled “WTC: Now,” and explored the challenges of documenting violence, trauma and historical past by images.
The Seattle version adopted JLF USA’s inaugural Los Angeles program, held from Sept.14 to 16. The Los Angeles version introduced collectively writers, artists, historians, diplomats, filmmakers and cultural figures for conversations masking literature, tradition, geopolitics, historical past, know-how, movie, social impression and the humanities.
This system unfolded throughout venues together with the ASU California Middle Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, the previous Herald Examiner Constructing at 1111 S. Broadway, Artistic Visions Malibu and 2413 Hyperion. The opening night featured Consul Common of India in Los Angeles Dr. Okay. J. Srinivasa as keynote speaker, alongside Johnny Figel of the American India Basis, Sanjoy Okay. Roy and Suraj Dhingra of Teamwork Arts, Tim Disney of 2413 Hyperion and Megha Kadakia.
Vicky Roy additionally featured in “Framing Hope,” a dialog with producer Mauktik Kulkarni and social-impact chief V. R. Ferose, held alongside an exhibition of his images. The dialogue explored Roy’s journey from the streets of Delhi to documenting the reconstruction of the World Commerce Middle, with a deal with resilience, aspiration and hope. His life story can also be the idea for “Road Goals,” a forthcoming movie.
Worldwide affairs have been one other main theme in Los Angeles. Shashi Tharoor was in dialog with Kal Raustiala, director of the UCLA Ronald W. Burkle Middle for Worldwide Relations, discussing the altering world order and the evolving positions of america, India and different international powers.
The topic was additional explored in “What Is the New World Order?” moderated by overseas coverage columnist Seema Sirohi and that includes Harvard historian Caroline Elkins, former U.S. Ambassador Nina Hachigian and author Viet Thanh Nguyen. The dialogue examined empire, historic reminiscence, American id and shifting international energy.
The Los Angeles program additionally featured filmmaker and producer Ashok Amritraj in dialog with Sanjoy Okay. Roy in “Grasp Storyteller: The Legend & The Future,” analyzing Amritraj’s profession and the evolution of storytelling and cinema.
READ: JLF brings international literary dialogue to Los Angeles (June 6, 2026)
Music and efficiency added one other dimension to the pageant. The Aditya Prakash Ensemble, that includes Aditya Prakash, Vishnu R. and Chris Votek, mixed Carnatic vocals, nine-string Navtar and cello in an improvised efficiency. Hindustani vocalist Neha Jetley, accompanied by Bappa B. Lahiri, introduced modern interpretations of 4 well-known songs, whereas Las Colibrí introduced mariachi and Mexican-American musical influences to this system.
The 2 September editions are a part of the broader 2026 JLF USA program, which spans six U.S. cities: North Carolina, Los Angeles, Seattle, Colorado, New York and Houston. The Jaipur Literature Competition will return to Jaipur from January 14 to 18, 2027, for its twentieth anniversary version.
