Three Man Booker Prize winners, travel writing giant Pico Iyer, and Atlantic Magazine luminary among star-studded list of speakers.
NEW YORK – JLF Soneva Fushi has unveiled the list of speakers for its 2023 edition, bringing an inspired line-up of acclaimed authors, celebrated thinkers and cultural leaders from around the world to the Maldives’ Baa Atoll, from May 12-21, 2023. This marks the second time that Soneva, along with Teamwork Arts, producer of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, have partnered to host the festival at Soneva Fushi.
“JLF Soneva Fushi’s remarkable program is an opportunity to reconnect with the pure joy of literature and the arts,” says Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and Co-Founder of Soneva. “The exceptional setting of our barefoot island in the Maldives, coupled with our contributors and guests staying with us for at least a weekend makes JLF Soneva Fushi unlike any other literature festival. It’s this greater, intimate access to authors, deeper understanding, new friendships and stronger bonds that make this festival so unique.”
With 20 world-renowned authors now confirmed, the JLF Soneva Fushi 2023 program is set to cover a spectrum of topics, ranging from: nation-building to the natural world; fiction and filmmaking to hard-hitting journalism; astronomy to geopolitics; mental health to poetry; and scientific discovery to memoir.
The 2023 line-up includes:
- Man Booker Prize-winning author, Howard Jacobson
- Man Booker Prize-winning author, novelist and playwright, Damon Galgut
- Man Booker and Whitbread Prize winner, DBC Pierre
- Novelist and travel writer, Pico Iyer
- Professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University, Priyamvada Natarajan
- Filmmaker and actor, Shekhar Kapur
- Chief foreign correspondent for The (London) Sunday Times, Christina Lamb
- Award-winning historian and staff writer at The Atlantic magazine, Anne Applebaum
- Poet and philanthropist, William Sieghart
- Classicist Mary Beard
- Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival and author of 21 books, Namita Gokhale
- Polish member of the European Parliament, Radosław (Radek) Sikorski
- Author, columnist and former Indian Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna
- British historian and best-selling author, Peter Frankopan
- Poet and filmmaker, Muzaffar Ali
- Author and skincare expert,b
- Historian and JLF Soneva Fushi Festival Co-Director, William Dalrymple
- And member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Indian Prime Minister, Sanjeev Sanyal
Held over 10 days and two weekends, JLF Soneva Fushi’s program illuminates South Asia’s vibrant literary legacy and invites guests to take part in stimulating panels and workshops, book and poetry readings, and more. The two weekends are dedicated to keynote addresses, gala dinners on the sand, live music performances and film screenings at the outdoor Cinema Paradiso, with specially curated menus prepared by Soneva Fushi’s award-winning chefs. Weekdays at JLF Soneva Fushi will focus on more intimate sessions, author discussions and a range of workshops designed to spark creativity and curiosity. Augmenting the JLF program, attendees can participate in morning yoga and meditation sessions; dance workshops; guided snorkelling with Soneva Fushi’s resident “Ocean Guardians”; and glassblowing at Soneva Art & Glass, the Maldives’ first hot glass studio.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
