The world’s grandest celebration of books and ideas continued to draw packed audiences across venues on Day 3 of the Vedanta-presented Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) 2026. The day unfolded as a vibrant medley of ideas, where stories flourished alongside a rich commingling of cultures.
From reflections on literature and contemporary society to conversations on food, fiction, and conflict, the day offered audiences a wide-ranging exploration of thought and writing at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur.
Earlier, the close of the second day featured several memorable sessions. The Worlds of Wodehouse in Words and Music, which brought together Stephen Fry, Hal Cazalet, and Simon Beck in conversation with Anish Gawande, celebrated P. G. Wodehouse’s enduring wit and musicality. The session opened with a delightful surprise as British opera singer Hal Cazalet, accompanied by pianist Simon Beck, delivered a musical performance that immediately captivated the audience.
Stephen Fry spoke about Wodehouse’s early life, shaped by magazines, cricket, and keen observations of English social life, as well as his visits to upper-class households and encounters with butlers, which enabled him to gently expose the absurdities of the class system.
At Where Does Fiction Come From, a distinguished panel featuring Tash Aw, Percival Everett (joining virtually), Kiran Desai, Esther Freud, and Richard Flanagan, in conversation with Anuradha Roy, engaged in a wide-ranging discussion on the art of the novel. The session brought together fiction writers from around the world to discuss inspiration, process, research, and their relationship with the form. Speaking about transforming personal life into material, Richard Flanagan said, “Fiction comes from making up stories to answer questions you have no idea how to answer.”
The third day began with Morning Music, as TĀL FRY’s percussion set pulses racing by weaving together Carnatic and Hindustani classical traditions into a compelling soundscape.
In a session titled The Magic of the Lost Earrings, Sudha Murty, in conversation with Mandira Nayar, spoke about the research behind the book, drawing inspiration from her family and her desire to share the story of Partition with her grandchildren through a lens that could be integrated into education. Murty observed, “We don’t tell children the importance of the past. I always believe that if you do not know your history, then you will not know your future. History and the future are connected.”
Festival-goers were inspired by You Can Have It All: Unlock the Secrets to a Great Life, with Gaur Gopal Das in conversation with Poulomi Chatterjee. Das encouraged audiences to recognise the power of their own stories, helping them understand shortcomings and gain deeper insight into their inner selves.
Another compelling session, The Chola Tigers: Avengers of Somnath, saw author Amish in conversation with Viveka Kumari. Amish spoke about his latest novel and its deeper historical and moral themes. Explaining his decision to drop his surname, he denounced the caste system as a repressive construct and, invoking the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar, asserted that it remains a major hindrance to India’s progress.
At a session titled The Gaza Genocide, Avi Shlaim, Noa Avishag Schnall, Ramita Navai, and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, in conversation with Navdeep Suri, addressed the ongoing crisis in Palestine. Avi Shlaim, an Israeli-British historian, outlined what he described as the turning point from conflict to genocide, highlighting Israel’s denial of humanitarian aid in the West Bank. Author and poet Lena Khalaf Tuffaha recited her poem Running Order, portraying the harrowing experience of receiving just 58 seconds’ notice to evacuate one’s home before it was bombed. Journalists Noa Avishag Schnall and Ramita Navai shared accounts from their firsthand reporting in Gaza, offering insights into life under occupation and the human stories behind the headlines.
The day also featured The Wisdom of Indian Food, a session between Rujuta Diwekar and Namita Devidayal. Diwekar spoke about making lifestyle shifts by returning to the roots of Indian culinary practices, emphasising freshly cooked food and sustainable, healthy habits over instantaneous weight loss. She said, “We are much more than what we eat. We are not just the food on our plate, but also the attitude with which we eat and the wisdom with which we welcome it.” More food-related sessions followed.
At the festival, the annual Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia Award was conferred on distinguished Hindi poet Yatindra Mishra, followed by the launch of a new edition of Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia’s Pankh Diye Aakash Na Doge.
The festival continues its spirit of abundance and inclusivity on the fourth day, with key sessions including Richard Flanagan in conversation with Tim Adams; A Continent in Crisis: Russia, Ukraine and the European Story, featuring Radoslaw Sikorski in conversation with Navtej Sarna; and Speaking My Mind, with Leo Varadkar in conversation with Georgina Godwin. The day will also feature Ideas of Justice, with Justice D. Y. Chandrachud in conversation with Vir Sanghvi, promising rich discussions on law and society.