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 February 2025, the 18th 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, Spain, the Maldives, Australia and the Middle-East, and seamlessly merge the rich multilingual literary traditions of South Asia with the unique essence of the host regions.

In the US, JLF makes its way to New York; Houston; Boulder, Colorado; Seattle; and North Carolina, bringing together unique offerings of literature, geopolitics, art and music with inspirational writers and thinkers. Through the Covid years, virtual versions of JLF kept the spirit of creative conversations alive with writers, thinkers, poets, artists, and filmmakers engaged in insightful discourse. 

JLF North Carolina is set to return to the beautiful university town of Chapel Hill located in the dynamic Research Triangle area from September 26-27, 2025. At JLF North Carolina, the inaugural event will celebrate Chapel Hill's storied heritage, rooted in the Civil Rights era, and the scholarly legacy of the University of North Carolina. The region's renowned arts community, including its vibrant murals and community art, shall provide a fitting backdrop for this literary extravaganza.

The festival will take place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill strategically located in the Research Triangle—comprising Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Durham—a hub known for its rapid growth, driven by top-tier universities, thriving tech industries, and a rich cultural scene, encompassing arts, cuisine, and innovation.

Sponsored by UNC’s Carolina Asia Center and supported by UNC’s Carolina Asia Center, Modern Indian Studies Initiative, College of Arts and Sciences, and Carolina Performing Arts as well as other public and private partners across the state, JLF North Carolina 2025 promises to be an unmissable iteration of the JLF USA series.