Jaipur: The Jaipur Literature Festival’s Outreach Programme continues its legacy of bringing the magic of literature, storytelling, and ideas to young minds across Jaipur and Delhi. For 15 years now, the Festival’s Outreach Programme has been featuring an exciting lineup of sessions, authors, and speakers, ensuring that the love for reading and creative thought reaches far beyond the Festival grounds.
Highlights of the 2025 Jaipur Literature Festival Outreach Programme in collaboration with Pratham Books:
- 16 Sessions in Delhi from 20 to 23 January 2025
- 48 Sessions in Jaipur from 28 January to 3 February 2025
- Children’s Reach: Approx. 10,000 young minds
This year’s Outreach Programme proudly welcomes an illustrious lineup of speakers, including globally acclaimed authors, diplomats, and artists who engaged with students, offering them fresh perspectives and inspiring narratives. Main Festival speakers participating in the Outreach include Akshata Murty, Esther Duflo, Gabriela Ruivo, Sophia Roberts, Kallol Bhattacharjee, Ila Arun, Vikram Jit Singh, Nayantara Violet Alva, HE Herve Delphin (European Union Ambassador to India), and HE May-Elin Stener (Ambassador of Norway to India). Additionally, exclusive Outreach speakers include Archana Chandel, Seema Wahi Mukherjee, Arvinda Bhatia, Jaishree Sethi, Shilpa Mehta, Neha Nahata, Rajeev Verma ‘Banjara,’ Shikha Garg, Simran Jain, and Priyanka Chatterjee.
A Legacy of Literary Engagement
The Jaipur Literature Festival Outreach Programme is jointly organized by Pratham Books, Teamwork Arts, and the Yuva Ekta Foundation.
Since its inception in 2011, the initiative has grown from 5 to 500+ schools in its 15th year.
The Outreach Programme brings the spirit of literature to school children, fostering a lifelong love for reading and storytelling. Authors, illustrators, diplomats, artists, storytellers, and journalists interact with young minds, sparking curiosity and creativity.
Dubbed the ‘greatest literary show on Earth,’ the Jaipur Literature Festival is a global celebration of literature, dialogue, and cultural exchange. Bringing together some of the finest minds from across the world, the Festival is an unparalleled gathering of authors, thinkers, and visionaries, promoting the free flow of ideas and fostering intellectual discussions that shape the world of tomorrow.
Talking about our Outreach Program, Puneeta Roy, Managing Trustee, Yuva Ekta Foundation said, “Regarded as a cultural catalyst in India and across the world, the Jaipur Literature Festival explores an energetic flow of ideas with some of the greatest thinkers and writers, alongside an eclectic international audience. Keen to give back to the host city, Teamwork Arts – the producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival – runs a Youth Outreach programme every year, parallel to the festival, in which renowned authors, from Nobel laureates to Indian language writers and from Man Booker Prize winners to debut novelists, visit schools in Jaipur. This initiative ignites the minds of young people who might not otherwise be able to access the festival, leaving behind a rich slice of the festival experience.”
One of our speakers this year, Simran Jain, a writer and illustrator, was once part of our School Outreach Program. Now returning as a speaker with the Outreach Program, she reflects on her transformative experience. Simran shared, “The Yuva Ekta Foundation has been a defining force in my personal and artistic journey. As a student in their youth outreach program, I was introduced to theatre and collaborated with peers from diverse backgrounds—an experience that broadened my worldview. Over the years, their guidance opened incredible opportunities for me, from speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival to touring schools and conducting workshops for children. The Foundation has deepened my understanding of the arts and society, helped me grow as a person, and shaped my values as an artist.”
