Jaipur LitFest returns to US, Houston leg concludes with resounding response

Houston: The Jaipur Literature Festival made a vibrant return to the US this week, opening its American tour in Houston where the 8th edition concluded on Sunday after three days of discussions, performances, and cultural exchange.

The JLF 2025, held from September 5-7 in collaboration with Asia Society Texas, Rothko Chapel, Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston and the Museum of Fine Arts, celebrated Houston’s diversity and cultural vibrancy.

Consul General of India in Houston D C Manjunath inaugurated the event at the Museum of Fine Arts on Friday, highlighting the role of literature in deepening India–US cultural ties.

He also hosted a welcome dinner on Saturday to mark the festival's eighth edition.

Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur headlined the house-full inaugural session in conversation with political commentator and columnist Sunanda Vashisht, reflecting on creativity and life: “Fear is a great driver of creativity. AI cannot handle something that’s not certain. My prime job as a director is to create a circle of love on my set,” he said.

On September 6, Kapur participated in a panel on artificial intelligence titled, “What does it mean to be human? This has to be at the heart of any conversation”, alongside Martin Puchner and Chi Rainer Bornfree at Asia Society Texas Centre.

He is scheduled to feature at the New York edition of JLF USA from September 8-10.

Houston-based award-winning Indian American author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, whose 23 books have been translated into 30 languages, encouraged audiences to “create magical worlds through art and writing”.

She joined fellow authors Rob Franklin and Tayyba Kanwal in a session exploring race, power, culture and identity.

Musical and poetry performances at Rothko Chapel brought together award-winning singer and composer Aditya Prakash; Indian-American percussionist, composer, and educator Dr Rohan Krishnamurthy; leading Carnatic musician Sruti Sarathy; poet Reyes Ramirez; and student performers, blending art with literary thought.

Among other prominent speakers were climate and wilderness medicine expert Dr Jay Lemery, bestselling author Amish Tripathi, neurologist and writer Pria Anand, engineering scholar Guru Madhavan and Tibetan Buddhism scholar Andrew Quintman.

The finale session, held at the Eternal Gandhi Museum, featured Indian author and former diplomat Amish Tripathi in conversation with Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts.

“JLF Houston has once again proven that literature transcends borders. The warmth and intellectual curiosity of the Houston audience brought every conversation to life,” Roy said.

“From Houston to New York, Boulder, Seattle, and North Carolina, JLF USA 2025 has been about connecting communities through the power of stories. Bringing together writers, thinkers, and audiences from around the world, the festival creates spaces for dialogue, inspiration, and shared experiences that celebrate literature in all its richness,” Suraj Dhingra, Vice President (Festival & Production) at Teamwork Arts, told PTI.

The Houston leg marked the beginning of the multi-city JLF USA 2025. The festival will travel next to New York (Sep 8-10), Boulder (Sep 13-14), Seattle (Sep 19-21) and conclude in North Carolina (Sep 26-28).