The iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading literary festivals and a global platform for ideas, dialogue and cultural exchange, will launch in Ireland this May with its most ambitious edition to date: JLF Island of Ireland.
Taking place from May 22nd – 31st 2026, the festival will travel across four locations – Belfast, Armagh, Dundalk and Dublin – marking the first time JLF has been presented as an all-island, multi-venue event of this scale.
Supported by the Government of Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, JLF Island of Ireland reflects a shared commitment to cultural exchange, dialogue and the role of storytelling in bringing people together. The festival forms part of a landmark three-year partnership to deliver an all-island edition of JLF in Ireland.
Bringing together internationally acclaimed writers, historians, journalists, academics, poets, playwrights, performers, public intellectuals and musicians from across the island of Ireland, India, and beyond, the festival will present a programme of conversations, readings, performances and discussions exploring the ideas shaping contemporary life. From history, politics and geopolitics to climate change, identity, migration, language and culture, the programme reflects both global perspectives and local realities.
The Belfast programme will engage with themes including climate, crime fiction, partition, history, identity and language, while the Dublin programme will explore questions of history, famine, empire, migration, folklore, politics and cultural memory. It is supported by the University of Ulster Belfast and the Market Place Theatre Armagh. Across all locations, the festival will examine shared and intersecting histories, including the legacies of empire and partition, and how these continue to shape societies today.
International speakers will include leading historians, authors and journalists such as William Dalrymple, Jeff Goodell, Shashi Tharoor, Jeet Thayil and Tishani Doshi. They will be joined by some of the most prominent writers and thinkers from the island of Ireland, including Fintan O’Toole, Jan Carson, David McCullagh and Jane Ohlmeyer, among others.
NO REPRO FEE Dublin, Ireland. Adrianna Lynch and Nupoor Mathankar pictured at the Long Room in Trinity College Library, Dublin, at the launch of JLF Island of Ireland. Taking place from 22–31 May 2026 across Belfast, Armagh, Dundalk and Dublin. Supported by the Government of Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the festival will bring together leading Irish and international writers and thinkers for a dynamic programme of events. For more information, visit https://jlflitfest.org/ireland Photographer: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland
Helen McEntee, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, said: “JLF Island of Ireland is a signature cultural initiative. As an all-island festival, it provides a unique platform to engage with the ideas, histories and perspectives that the island of Ireland and the Indian subcontinent have in common. It also signals Ireland’s strong commitment to cultural diplomacy, on this island and internationally, and speaks to the power of literature and the arts to build lasting relationships.”
Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “JLF Island of Ireland brings a significant international literary programme to audiences in Northern Ireland, creating opportunities to engage with writers and ideas of global relevance. Its focus on themes such as identity, language and history speaks to conversations that resonate deeply on this island, North and South, while opening us up to wider perspectives from other cultures. Ensuring that audiences can access and participate in work of this scale is central to the role of the arts, and to the continued development of a vibrant cultural landscape.”
Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts added, “The best stories travel across languages, geographies and borders. JLF Island of Ireland is a shared space where writers, readers and ideas from Ireland, India and beyond can meet to discuss and debate and through better understanding help heal us in these difficult times.”
JLF Island of Ireland will remain free and open to all, continuing the festival’s long-standing commitment to accessibility and public engagement. Audiences will have the opportunity to participate in a wide-ranging programme that spans literature, current affairs, poetry, performance and interdisciplinary exchange.
Embodying the spirit and grand arc of its root festival in Jaipur, India, the JLF series has grown into a major international cultural event, attended by thousands each year and featuring some of the world’s most significant literary and intellectual voices and gifted performers. JLF International editions now travel across continents with editions in Europe, the UK and the United States, curating spaces for diverse voices, perspectives and meaningful dialogue.
JLF Island of Ireland builds on this legacy, bringing the festival’s established format of open discussion and exchange to a new context. By travelling across the island and connecting audiences in multiple cities and towns, it creates a platform for considered conversations that move across geographies, disciplines and perspectives.
Cathy Gormley Heenan, Provost at Ulster University welcomed the festival saying, “Ulster University is delighted to host the Jaipur Literature Festival in May this year as part of its all-island celebration. This free, inclusive and iconic celebration of literature, dialogue, and the arts aligns with the University’s commitment to fostering intellectual exchange and creative expression, fostering a truly vibrant and inclusive community of ideas. The festival promises to be a celebration of ideas, stories, and connections that celebrates our shared cultures and love of art, literature, food and music.
Professor Patrick Geoghegan, Director of the Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity’s Flagship Arts and Humanities Research Institute, “Trinity College Dublin is delighted to host JLF Island of Ireland as part of this culturally significant, and wonderfully ambitious all-island literary festival. Ireland and India have a very special relationship built on our historical, cultural, social, political, economic and educational ties that go back centuries, even before our countries were independent. Each year we welcome growing numbers of students, staff, and visitors from India, and we have many significant collaborations across our teaching and research. The Festival is a celebration of all these connections and a wonderful opportunity to build new ones.
The Trinity Long Room Hub and the School of Histories and Humanities are honoured to partner with the Festival and it reflects our long-standing commitment to public engagement and international collaboration. We are also delighted that some of our most talented postgraduates and research students will contribute to the success of the event in Trinity.”
For more information, visit https://jlflitfest.org/ireland
