JLF NORTH CAROLINA
ABOUT JLF North Carolina
The third edition of JLF North Carolina, an international edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival, shall be taking place in the beautiful city of Raleigh, from September 11 to 13, 2026. This year, the festival shall celebrate the many arts and histories of the ‘City of Oaks’, across sessions taking place at Meredith College and NC State Institute for Emerging Issues. The city’s lush boulevards shall serve as the perfect backdrop for this celebration of books and stories.
JLF North Carolina 2026 will feature two days of thought-provoking conversations, compelling performances, and enlightening cultural experiences, making it an essential chapter of the JLF USA series.
The Jaipur Literature Festival, held annually in the historic Pink City of Jaipur in India’s vibrant state of Rajasthan, is hailed worldwide as the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’. In January 2026, the 19th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival reaffirmed the power of books and ideas through a remarkable line-up of speakers and sessions.
The Festival’s indomitable energy and spirit travels across the world, in its international JLF editions, to several countries that include the US, UK, Canada, Spain, the Maldives, and Australia, seamlessly merging the rich multilingual literary traditions of South Asia with the unique essence of the host regions.
Festival Details
DATES: September 11 - 13, 2026
LOCATIONS: Jones Auditorium at Meredith College - September 11th & 12th and North Carolina State University - September 13th
Speakers
Shashi Tharoor
Bob Crawford
Cheetie Kumar
Manil Suri
Jaki Shelton Green
Pria Anand
Joseph Bathanti
Vijay Seshadri
Karan Mahajan
Vishwesh Bhatt
Belle Boggs
Jeff Tiberii
SCHEDULE
Friday, September 11, 2026
Located at Meredith College, Raleigh, NC
Invocation performance and Inaugural Address 5:30 PM - 6:20 PM
Invocation performance by Swati Girglani
Keynote Session: The Promise and Peril of Democracy 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Shashi Tharoor in conversation with Sree Sreenivasan
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Located at Meredith College, Raleigh, NC
Morning Music 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Music by Donna Ray Norton
The Real Worlds of Fiction 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Karan Mahajan and Melissa Faliveno in conversation with Belle Boggs
The Mind Electric 1:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Pria Anand in conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy
Food, Memory and Culture 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM
Vishwesh Bhatt and Cheetie Kumar in conversation with Jeff Tiberii
The American Experiment 2:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Bob Crawford and XYZ in conversation with Zachery Eanes
A Room in Bombay 3:00 PM - 3:50 PM
Manil Suri in conversation with M. Randal O’Wain
The Poetic Imagination 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM
Vijay Seshadri and Jaki Shelton Green in conversation with Joseph Bathanti
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Creating Compelling Characters: A Hands-On Fiction Workshop with the Redbud Writing Project 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Emily Cateneo and Arshia Simkin
Located at Institute for Emerging Issues , Hunt Library
Rhythm & Movement: Zumba Meets Bollywood 12:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Byron Jennings and Sanskriti Inamdar + more
Located at Ajja Restaurant, Bickett Boulevard
JLF North Carolina FEstival PASS
General Admission Passes:
Friday Pass: $35 GA | $25 Educator | $10 Student Admission to opening night ceremony and keynote speech.
Saturday Pass: $50 GA | $25 Educator | $10 Student Admission to all Saturday programming.
JLF North Carolina VIP PASS
Support JLF North Carolina by becoming a VIP level donor! VIP Passes include:
An exclusive Friday evening reception with our authors on September 11, 2026 in Downtown Raleigh. A gathering where you’ll meet and mingle with the writers, thinkers, and artists headlining the festival.
JLF North Carolina tote bag with signed copies of two books from the visiting authors.
Admission to the opening night ceremony and keynote speech on September 11th.
All-day pass to all JLF North Carolina events on September 12th at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC.
Location and details will be shared upon registration. Details subject to change.
Donate To JLF north Carolina
The third installment of the Jaipur Literature Festival-NC brings the worlds' largest literature festival to Raleigh for the first time ever! JLF North Carolina brings together authors, artists and readers from around the world and from right at home. A contribution to JLF North Carolina today will help produce one of the Triangle's premier arts festivals and elevate Raleigh to the global scale as a home for arts entertainment.
Register for Sunday’s Writing workshop
Creating Compelling Characters: A Hands-On Fiction Workshop with the Redbud Writing Project
Great stories begin with unforgettable characters. In this interactive 90-minute workshop, we'll explore what makes fictional characters feel vivid and memorable through discussion, close reading, writing exercises, and collaborative storytelling. Participants will learn practical techniques for creating characters with depth and complexity while enjoying the creative, reflective, and community-building benefits of writing together.
Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just looking for some inspiration, this welcoming, craft-focused workshop will give you practical tools and opportunities to share your work and receive encouraging feedback.
JLF-NC & AJJA Hopscotch Day Party & Dance Workshop
Rhythm & Movement 'Cardio Dance Meets Bollywood', Live Music, and more!
Enjoy the last day of JLF North Carolina with an hour of joyful, full-body movement co-led by two of the Triangle's favorite dance instructors. Byron Jennings, a popular Cardio dance instructor at YMCAs across the area, opens with a fast-paced, high-energy aerobic session built around popular dance moves and rhythms, before Sanskriti Inamdar, founder of Ishanya Dance Company, guides participants through vibrant footwork and an expressive style of Bollywood dance. No prior experience is necessary; just wear comfortable shoes and show up with an appetite for fun!
Live music from Tonk, One After 919, and Urchins to follow!
Volunteer
Volunteers interested in working with JLF North Carolina can sign up at the button below! All volunteers will receive a t-shirt and admission to sessions on the same day as their 4-hour volunteer shift.
FESTIVAL FILM
What Our Attendees Say!
