Community Partner Spotlight: JLF Seattle
August 26, 2025
SAL is excited to spotlight our community partner JLF Seattle! An international chapter of the Jaipur Literary Festival or “the greatest literary show on Earth,” JLF Seattle brings outstanding literary events to town in partnership with local nonprofits, arts organizations, libraries, and venues.
Read more about their upcoming September festival and how to be a part of the conversation!
JLF Seattle – A Festival of Books and Ideas
September 18–21, 2025
This September, Seattle welcomes back the second edition of the JLF Seattle, produced by Teamwork Arts and presented locally by the nonprofit TRASAL (Traveling South Asian Literary Festival).
JLF Seattle is the international chapter of the Jaipur Literature Festival, often called the “greatest literary show on Earth,” the world’s largest literature festival. Produced by Teamwork Arts, it draws more than 250,000 participants on-site every January in Jaipur, and millions online, embodying values of accessibility, diversity, and dialogue. Over the past decade, JLF international has expanded globally, from London and Toronto to Adelaide, Doha, and beyond – making Seattle one of its most vibrant international homes.
The 2025 Lineup
This year’s festival showcases brilliant voices from across the world of literature, ideas, and the arts:
- Viet Thanh Nguyen – Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist
- Kiran Desai – Booker Prize winner, longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize
- William Dalrymple – historian, JLF co-founder, and bestselling author
- Arundhati Subramaniam – acclaimed poet and essayist
- John Vaillant – award-winning journalist and author
- Marcus du Sautoy – mathematician and science communicator
- Patrick McGee – author, journalist, and cultural commentator
- Prajakta Koli – actor, author, digital creator, influencer and UNDP India’s Youth Climate Champion
Together, these speakers will spark conversations that move across disciplines, geographies, and traditions, inspiring audiences to think anew about our interconnected world. For full festival lineup, go to: Speakers, Programs
Seattle as Host
Seattle’s recognition as a UNESCO City of Literature honors its long history of storytelling—from the Coast Salish peoples’ oral traditions to a flourishing present-day literary ecosystem of independent bookstores, residencies, and cultural organizations. Hosting JLF here deepens Seattle’s role as a crossroads of global literature, connecting local voices to international conversations and advancing values of inclusivity, diversity, and social justice.
About TRASAL
Founded by UW Bothell professor Alka Kurian, TRASAL (Traveling South Asian Literary Festival) is a Seattle-based 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to fostering cross-cultural understanding and civic dialogue through literature and the arts. It amplifies South Asian and diasporic voices while building bridges to Seattle’s diverse literary communities.
TRASAL’s activities include book talks, creative writing courses, book reviews, writing retreats (including a planned retreat in India), and literary festivals, including JLF Seattle, its flagship event, which connects local audiences to leading writers, artists, and thinkers.
In partnership with organizations like Seattle Arts & Lectures, Hedgebrook, Hugo House, Seattle Public Library, and King County Library System, and in collaboration with Teamwork Arts, TRASAL ensures that JLF Seattle is both locally rooted and globally resonant.
The Spirit of Teamwork Arts
Teamwork Arts is a pioneering producer of festivals across the world, including the Jaipur Literature Festival, widely regarded as the largest and most inclusive celebration of literature on the planet. With a portfolio spanning performing arts, visual arts, heritage, and digital programming, Teamwork Arts has brought India’s cultural richness to global audiences for over three decades.
Join Us
JLF Seattle is more than a festival—it is a cultural bridge, a meeting place for ideas, and a celebration of the power of stories. Join us from September 18–21, 2025 at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Town Hall Seattle, and Viya Contemporary to experience literature, dialogue, and performance at their best.