Celebrating books, ideas, and dialogue, the Jaipur Literature Festival — described as “the greatest literary show on Earth” — returns to New York, presenting a series of conversations and performances examining the human experience through the imaginations of some of the world’s leading authors, thinkers, and performers. Speakers include Shashi Tharoor, Manil Suri, Dominique Townsend, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa and Tenzin Dickie, a performance with the Anirudh Varma Classical Quartet  followed by a reception in the Garden Court.

Schedule: 

4:00-4:30   

Welcome 

4:30-5:15

A Universe Built on Math: The Big Bang of Numbers, Manil Suri

Mathematician and novelist Manil Suri's latest book, The Big Bang of Numbers: How to Build the Universe Using Only Math, embarks on a mathematical origin story spanning the universe. An inspired and insightful journey through the fundamental mathematical concepts that form the cornerstones of our existence, Suri's visionary work takes us on a riveting ride to infinity and beyond. In conversation with academic Patrick Honner (Painless Statistics).

5:30-6:15  

Writing Tibet, Remembering Tibet, Dominique Townsend, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, and Tenzin Dickie

Dominique Townsend, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa and Tenzin Dickie in conversation, introduced by Namita Gokhale. In the face of cultural obliteration the living memory of Tibetan culture and spiritual practices remains strong and resilient. This session looks at the sacred heritage that the Tibetan diaspora carries with them.

6:30-7:15

The Paradoxes of India, Shashi Tharoor

In conversation with Seema Sirohi (Friends With Benefits: The India US Story), politician and acclaimed author Shashi Tharoor navigates the tensions and harmonies within the paradoxes of India. India’s intellectual landscape is a melting pot of assorted beliefs and world-views that produces a provocative mix of thought, philosophies, and ideologies. In Tharoor’s words “the idea of India is of one land embracing many” where ancient wisdom intersects with modern ideas, contending beliefs thrive and diverse perspectives converge.

7:30-8:15     

The Anirudh Varma Classical Quartet  performance  

The AVC Classical Quartet emerged from a shared passion for reimagining traditional Indian classical compositions within a contemporary Baithak framework. They are part of the Anirudh Varma Collective (AVC), a contemporary Indian classical ensemble from New Delhi, led by pianist, composer, and producer, Anirudh Varma. The Collective comprises musicians and artistes from across India, America, and Canada and aims to discover, re-discover, and present the tradition and diversity of Indian music in a contemporary yet rooted manner.  . The outcome is a spontaneous and impromptu musical experience, where the exchange of energy fuels creativity and gives rise to beautiful harmonies.  The Collective has released 2 full-length albums, Perspectives and Homecoming,   and performed at HCL Concerts, the Jaipur Literature Festival, the Mahindra Kabira Festival, Surajkund Crafts Mela, the Virasat Festival in Dehradun, as well as the Festivals of India in Maldives and Kuwait.  

8:30-10:00   

Reception 

Watch a video about JLF's return to the United States in 2023:

JLF New York full program Sept. 12 & 13 https://jlflitfest.org/new-york/schedule