NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Seattle, WA, September 3, 2025: The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), often described as the “greatest literary show on Earth,” will return to Seattle from September 18–21, 2025, bringing with it an impressive roster of internationally acclaimed writers, thinkers, and performers.
The four-day festival will unfold across some of Seattle’s most iconic cultural venues — Viya Contemporary, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and Town Hall Seattle. Audiences can look forward to thought-provoking dialogue, cross-cultural exchange, and live performances featuring literary heavyweights and rising voices alike.
Among this year’s featured speakers are Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen, Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai (recently longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize), JLF co-founder and historian William Dalrymple, poet and essayist Arundhati Subramaniam, award-winning journalist John Vaillant, mathematician and science communicator Marcus du Sautoy, journalist and cultural commentator Patrick McGee, and actor-digital creator Prajakta Koli, who also serves as UNDP India’s Youth Climate Champion.
Seattle, designated a UNESCO City of Literature, has long been recognized for its deep literary traditions — from the oral histories of the Coast Salish peoples to its thriving present of independent bookstores, residencies, and literary nonprofits. Hosting JLF here further cements the city’s role as a global hub for literature and ideas.
“Seattle is a city of stories, and JLF Seattle is where those stories meet the world,” said Alka Kurian, Executive Director of JLF Seattle and founder of TRASAL, the nonprofit presenting the event in partnership with Teamwork Arts. “By partnering with Teamwork Arts, we bring together local communities and global voices in a space of exchange, reflection, and joy.”
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, added: “JLF has always been about democratizing access to literature and ideas. Bringing this spirit to Seattle, with its vibrant cultural and intellectual life, strengthens our shared belief in the transformative power of dialogue.”
JLF Seattle will open with a preview event on September 18 at Viya Contemporary, followed by an opening night at the Seattle Asian Art Museum on September 19. The main sessions will take place September 20–21 at Town Hall Seattle.
Tickets and program details are available at townhallseattle.org/event/jlf-seattle-2025.
