Jaipur, Jan 13 (.) Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Gopal Krishana Gandhi and former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will be among the star participants at the 19th Jaipur Literature Festival beginning on January 15, the organisers said on Tuesday.
The festival has been planned to showcase the varied colours of culture and creativity of royal Rajasthan amid the presence of global speakers, laureate and dignitaries.
Economist and former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramaniam, ex-world champion chess grand master Vishwanathan Anand and British entrepreneur and publisher William Sieghart will also headline the five-day event, slated to end on January 19.
The upcoming edition, being projected as the ‘greatest literary show on earth’ is being sponsored by Vedanta, event producer Teamworks Arts’ Managing Director Sonjoy K Roy told the media.
The festival, comprising 300 sessions and 500 speakers, will continue to serve as a premier global platform for literature, ideas, and dialogue, convening distinguished voices from diverse disciplines, geographies and generations.
Roy also announced the presentation of the Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia Award for Poetry. The award is judged by a distinguished jury comprising Namita Gokhale, Sukrita Paul Kumar, Ranjit Hoskote and Siddharth Sethia, and recognises the awardee’s profound and enduring contribution to poetry.
Instituted in memory of Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia, an iconic poet in Rajasthani and Hindi, freedom fighter, social reformer, and Padma Shri awardee – the honour celebrates a body of work that reflects lyrical depth, moral clarity, and a deep engagement with society and the human condition.
The award will be presented at a formal ceremony during the Festival on January , along with a jury citation and a cash prize of Rs1,00,000.
Each year, the Festival sustains a substantial cultural and economic footprint across the state, engaging approximately 2,000 locally based professionals in aeas like production, technical operations, hospitality, venue management, logistics, transport, and volunteer teams, Roy added. . SKS PPP .