More than 10,000 attendees celebrate global literature at JLF Valladolid 2025

The 2025 edition of the JLF Valladolid Spain brought together writers, poets, and thinkers from diverse cultures, enabling dynamic literary, artistic, and linguistic dialogues in both English and Spanish. The festival is the only international edition of the JLF held in a non-English-speaking country.

The festival aimed to build bridges between the cultures of Spain and India . The festival was produced by the Indian company Teamwork Arts, in collaboration with Casa de la India , and was supported by the Valladolid City Council and the Regional Government of Castilla y León, along with the University of Valladolid and IE University. The festival was also held in collaboration with the Embassy of India in Spain, the Embassy of Spain in India, the Spain India Council Foundation, the Spain Council Foundation, and the ICCR. It was also supported by Abadía Retuerta, Fever, and KIIT, as Hospitality, Celebration, and Knowledge Partners.

“From the vibrant dialogues in Valladolid to the serene beauty of Abadía Retuerta , this year’s edition of JLF Valladolid Spain has been an extraordinary celebration of ideas, stories, and our shared humanity. We are deeply grateful to our esteemed partners—Casa de la India, the City Council of Valladolid, the Regional Government of Castilla y León, the University of Valladolid, IE University, the Embassy of India in Spain, the Embassy of Spain in India, Fundación España India, the ICCR, Abadía Retuerta, Fever, and KIIT—for their support and for believing in the transformative power of literature to connect cultures and communities. As we close this edition, we look forward to many more enriching chapters together,” commented Sanjoy K. Roy, CEO of Teamwork Arts.

Guillermo Rodríguez, director of Casa de la India, added: "During these three days, Campo Grande in Valladolid has been transformed into an enchanted space, filled with poetry, music, yoga, astronomy, crafts, and dialogue. The festival is a true amalgamation of ART with a capital ART, uniting intellectuals, authors, and the public in an almost ritualistic communion, thus demonstrating the possibility of forging tender bridges through a language more powerful than words: the language of beauty."

For her part, Sheetal Birla, General Manager for India at Fever , said: “As Fever continues to expand its presence in India, this collaboration represents another step in its efforts to bring cultural experiences to a wider audience. We are excited to collaborate with exceptional partners who share our vision of making Indian culture more accessible. Candlelight’s mission is to democratize access to classical music by joining forces with cultural institutions, brands and players, in addition to supporting talented local artists and offering a diverse range of programs that resonate with local audiences, all set in stunning venues designed to appeal to people of all tastes.”

The Spanish edition of what is considered Asia's most important literary festival, following the success of two previous editions, is organized with the aim of establishing a literary, artistic, and cultural dialogue between the literary traditions of India and the Spanish-speaking community. JLF Valladolid España 2025 brought together writers, thinkers, poets, and storytellers in a global celebration of literature , addressing topics as diverse as music and poetry, fiction, gastronomy, history, geopolitics, travel writing, science, and mathematics, and welcomed more than 10,000 attendees.

Following its inauguration at IE University (Madrid) and an initial welcome at Casa de la India, the official opening took place in Campo Grande Park in Valladolid, with the participation of Jesús Julio Carnero, Mayor of Valladolid; Shubhra Sharma, Head of Culture at the Embassy of India in Spain; Mar Sancho, Deputy Minister of Cultural Action of the Regional Government of Castilla y León; Antonio Largo, Rector of the University of Valladolid; Namita Gokhale, co-founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival; and Sanjoy K. Roy, CEO of Teamwork Arts.

This edition also offered an exclusive "Friends of the Festival" Tour Package, giving visitors from around the world the opportunity to experience all the attractions of JLF Valladolid, Spain. The festival also included concerts and shows , with performances by the New Delhi-based jazz-funk band Princely States Dub Orchestra, the world music group Rajasthan Josh, Indian singer Puja Mehra, and renowned Indian sitarist and composer Pandit Shubhendra Rao, among others.

JLF Valladolid Spain 2025 featured prominent national and international speakers, including renowned Indian writer and columnist Shobhaa De ; Romy Gill, British-Indian chef, food writer, and radio presenter, whose latest work, On The Himalayan Trail, won the ICAP Culinary Award in 2023. Historian and archaeologist Josephine Quinn shared her vision of her book, How the World Made the West, a bold reinterpretation of the origins of Western civilization, while mathematician and science writer Marcus du Sautoy, professor at the University of Oxford, spoke about his book, Thinking Better: The Art of the Shortcut in Mathematics and Life.

Also participating were journalist and author Taran N. Khan; poet and graphic artist Juan Carlos Mestre; Venezuelan journalist and writer Karina Sainz Borgo ; Paulo Lemos Horta, professor of literature at NYU Abu Dhabi and editor of 'The Annotated Arabian Nights'; historian Andrea Rizzi, author of 'The Age of Revenge'; Chilean journalist and poet Violeta Medina; British writer and journalist Anthony Sattin, author of 'Nomads'; British poet Mona Arshi; Spanish journalist and writer Jesús Ruiz Mantilla; and Sheena Patel, author of 'I'm a Fan' and winner of the 2023 British Book Award, considered one of the most prominent voices in the new British narrative.

The festival's closing evening took place at Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine, which was transformed into a dreamlike setting, illuminated by thousands of candles, for an exclusive Candlelight Concert. The program fused Indian music and dance , with performances by Lydia Cobuscean and Pandit Shubhendra Rao on the sitar. Also premiering was Breathing Stones, with music by Saskia Rao-de Haas, Kuchipudi choreography by Arunima Kumar, and artistic direction and dance by Mónica de la Fuente.

The festival's rich musical offering also included performances by the folk duo Alma Sones, formed by Mª Eugenia López and Virginia Ferrero; the dynamic group Eclipsa2, with Carlos Soto (flute) and Miguel Abad (hurdy-gurdy); as well as individual artists such as Galician bagpiper Germán Ruiz, Latin percussionist Yonder Rodríguez, jazz pianist Jesús Bravo, and Spanish soprano Lydia Cobuscean.

This event reinforced Fever and Teamwork Arts' commitment to creating unique and accessible cultural experiences for all audiences.