JLF London 2025 features powerful global voices and urgent conversations

The 12th annual JLF London at the British Library, produced by Teamwork Arts, proved to be a spectacular weekend, with tickets for the event having been sold-out, transforming the venue into a vibrant cross-cultural celebration. The festival featured an exceptional lineup of international cultural icons, including International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq, playwright David Hare, poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar, bestselling author Hanif Kureishi, journalist Shobhaa De, and star of Netflix’s ‘Chef’s Table’, Asma Khan.

Major international thought leaders provided clarity on the dominant crises shaping the world today, including politician Shashi Tharoor, SOAS China Institute Steve Tsang, and Portuguese politician Bruno Maçães, offering global perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of a global future.

Historian, writer and festival co-founder William Dalrymple opened the 12th annual JLF London at the British Library this weekend, marking a triumphant start to the festival. The weekend unfolded as a powerful and distinctive celebration of international writers and thinkers, featuring vital dialogues on colonial legacies, environmental futures, and the evolving role of the arts.

Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, Sanjoy K. Roy said,“The incredible energy of a sold-out weekend at the British Library reaffirms JLF London’s role as a dynamic global platform. It is a vibrant confluence where the most powerful voices in literature, arts, and policy converge to address the defining issues of our time. We are thrilled to create this crossroads of culture and ideas, proving that even in moments of geopolitical turmoil, the desire for cross-cultural understanding and celebration is a powerful, unifying force.”

Festival Co-Director, Namita Gokhale, said,”JLF at the British Library is now a rooted and integral part of the London literary calendar. The 2025 edition was a vibrant and stimulating, diverse, thoughtful, and immersive experience. We thank our stellar speakers, supportive partners, and enthusiastic audiences, for making it such an outstanding success.”