Words Beyond Borders
International Literature Festival

A Global Gathering of Literary Excellence

Celebrating literature, creativity, culture, and global dialogue through the power of words.

ABOUT US

Bringing Together Voices
from Across the Globe

Words Beyond Borders International Literature Festival (WBBLITFEST) is a unique international literary gathering that celebrates diplomats who have contributed to literature through their writings—whether in diplomacy, fiction, poetry, memoir, or other forms of creative and intellectual expression.

The inaugural edition of the festival will be held from 25-27, October 2026 in Neemrana, Rajasthan, INDIA.

OUR VISION

Beyond Borders.
Beyond Languages.

Conceived as a platform where diplomacy meets literature, WBBLITFEST aims to highlight the role of diplomat–authors in fostering dialogue, cultural understanding, and reflection on global issues through the written word.

Discover the writers and thinkers joining us at the Words Beyond Borders International Literature Festival.

Authors. Thinkers. Storytellers. Changemakers.

Meet & Greet

Learn From Renowned diplomats & visionaries

Diplomats occupy a very unique vantage point in the world. Through their work they observe societies, cultures, conflicts and cooperation across nations. Many diplomats translate these experiences into literature—producing memoirs, novels, poetry, essays, reflections on international relations and human society.

Our Speakers

One World. Many Stories.

Discover Voices That Inspire, Challenge & Transform

eVENT

Schedule

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Day 1 : 25 OCT 2026
Day 2 : 26 OCT 2026
Day 3 : 27 OCT 2026

05:30 pm - 07:00 pm
Inauguration Ceremony
By Welcome to our WBBLITFEST

CHIEF GUEST
Shri Bhupender Yadav
(Lok Sabha MP, Alwar | Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change)

GUESTS OF HONOUR
Smt. Diya Kumari
(Deputy Chief Minister - Rajasthan)

Shri K. Laxman
(Rajya Sabha MP & Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs)

SPECIAL GUEST
Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla
(Member of Parliament & Former Foreign Secretary)

DISTINGUISHED GUEST
Éilís Ní Dhuibhne
(Fiction Laureate, Ireland)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana

10:00 am - 11:00 am
India Through Their Eyes
By Diana Mickevičienė Lithuania, Luís Filipe Castro Mendes Portugal, Mohamed Maliki Morocco, Monisha Advani India

Monisha Advani in conversation with Diana Mickevičienė, Luís Filipe Castro Mendes, Mohamed Maliki
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
10:15 am - 11:00 am
Words as Companion Series
By Indran Amirthanayagam USA, Mamang Dai India

Mamang Dai (India) explores the poetry and literary world of Indran Amirthanayagam (USA).
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Wonder Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
10:15 am - 11:00 am
Bhutan: Beyond the Postcard
By Ranjit Rae India, Thierry Mathou France

Ranjit Rae (India) joins Thierry Mathou (France) in a conversation exploring Bhutan through Mathou’s books on the country.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Playing the Part: When Life becomes Theatre
By Branimir Farkaš Croatia, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne Ireland, Hema Devare India

Éilís Ní Dhuibhne (Ireland) chairs a conversation with Hema Devare (India) and Branimir Farkaš (Croatia), exploring the interplay between life, storytelling and theatre.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
11:00 am - 11:20 am
TEA TIME
11:20 am - 12:00 pm
Beyond the Southern Cross
By Chinmaya Lal Thakur India, Felicity Volk Australia

Chinmaya Lal Thakur (India) in conversation with Felicity Volk (Australia)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
11:45 am - 01:00 pm
Short is Beautiful
By Anju Ranjan India, Janne Teller Denmark, Mohamed Tawfik Egypt, Navtej Sarna India

Navtej Sarna (India) chairs a conversation with M.M. Tawfik (Egypt), Anju Ranjan (India) and Janne Teller (Denmark) on the enduring appeal of short stories.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana
11:45 am - 01:00 pm
India, ASEAN and East Asia
By Aftab Seth India, Gurjit Singh India, Major General K Narayanan India, Sudhir T. Devare India

Major General K. Narayanan (Retd.) (India) joins Gurjit Singh (India), Aftab Seth (India) and Sudhir T. Devare (India) to explore the past, present and future of India’s ties with its Asian neighbors.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
11:45 am - 01:00 pm
Europe at a Crossroads?
By Frédéric Doré France, Piotr Antoni Świtalski Poland, Raffaela Puggioni Italy , Sandra Kalniete Latvia

Raffaela Puggioni (Italy) digs deep into the crisis facing Europe in conversation with Sandra Kalniete (Latvia), Frédéric Doré (France), Piotr Antoni Świtalski (Poland)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Wonder Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
12:20 pm - 01:00 pm
A World Without War
By M Behzad Fatmi India, Sundeep Waslekar India

M Behzad Fatmi (India) in conversation with Sundeep Waslekar (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
01:00 pm - 02:15 pm
LUNCH TIME
02:20 pm - 03:00 pm
The Cheetah Story: Bringing Diplomacy and Conservation Together
By K.S.P.V. Pavan Kumar India, Prashant Agrawal India

K.S.P.V. Pavan Kumar (India) in conversation with Prashant Agrawal (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
02:15 pm - 03:00 pm
Words as Companion Series
By Padma Rao Sundarji India, Thomas Prinz Germany

Padma Rao (India) unravels the mystery of Thomas Prinz (Germany)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Wonder Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
02:15 pm - 03:00 pm
Active Non-Alignment : A Way Forward for the Global South
By Deepak Bhojwani India, Jorge Heine Chile

Deepak Bhojwani (India) in conversation with Jorge Heine (Chile)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
02:15 pm - 03:15 pm
Illustrating a Tale
By Gurjit Singh India, Janne Teller Denmark, Laimonas Talat-Kelpša Lithuania, Trisha De Niyogi India

Trisha De Niyogi (India) in discussion with Laimonas Talat-Kelpša (Lithuania), Janne Teller (Denmark) and Gurjit Singh (India) on stories told through sketches
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana
03:15 pm - 03:45 pm
TEA TIME
04:00 pm - 05:00 pm
Indo-Pak Ties: Will the Twain Ever Meet?
By Ajay Bisaria India, Ruchi Ghanashyam INDIA, Sreeram Chaulia India, T.C.A. Raghavan India

Sreeram Chaulia (India) analyses India’s ties with Pakistan with T.C.A. Raghavan (India), Ruchi Ghanashyam (India) and Ajay Bisaria (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana
03:15 pm - 05:00 pm
The ‘Foreigner’ in Translation
By Ganbold Gonchig Mongolia , Mohamed Tawfik Egypt, Navdeep Suri India, Navtej Sarna India

Gonchig Ganbold (Mongolia), Navdeep Suri (India) (Chair), Mohamed Tawfik (Egypt) and Navtej Sarna (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
03:45 pm - 05:00 pm
The Inside-Outside Dilemma in Memoir
By Aftab Seth India, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne Ireland, Ernesto Pinto-Bazurco Rittler Peru, Sandra Kalniete Latvia

Sandra Kalniete (Latvia), Éilís Ní Dhuibhne (Ireland) (Chair), Ernesto Pinto-Bazurco Rittler (Peru), Aftab Seth (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Wonder Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
03:45 pm - 05:00 pm
Poetry without Passport
By Anju Ranjan India, Dnyaneshwar Mulay India, Indran Amirthanayagam USA, Poonam Surie India

Dnyaneshwar Mulay (India), Poonam Surie (India), Indran Amirthanayagam (USA) Anju Ranjan (India). Reading & Discussion
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana

09:50 am - 10:35 am
Words as Companion Series
By Janne Teller Denmark, Trisha De Niyogi India

Trisha De Niyogi (India) in conversation with Janne Teller (Denmark)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
10:05 am - 11:20 am
Nepal Through their Eyes
By Felicity Volk Australia, Lisa Choegyal UK, Madan Kumar Bhattarai Nepal, Ranjit Rae India

Felicity Volk (Australia) expands her horizon of Nepal in discussion with Madan Kumar Bhattarai (Nepal), Lisa Choegyal (UK), and Ranjit Rae (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
10:05 am - 11:20 am
Threads of Stories
By Firat Sunel Türkiye, Frédéric Doré France, Mandla Langa South Africa, Vikas Swarup India

Vikas Swarup (India) chairs a conversation with Mandla Langa (South Africa), Frédéric Doré (France) and Firat Sunel (Turkey) on novels and their plots.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana
10:20 am - 11:20 am
The Brave Voices of Integration
By Hye Seon Oh South Korea, Major General K Narayanan India, Thae Yong-ho South Korea

Major General K. Narayanan (Retd) (India) in conversation with South Korean writers Thae Yong-ho and Hye Seon Oh
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Wonder Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
10:45 am - 11:20 am
First but not the Last
By Keshav Padmanabhan India, Pujya Priyadarshni India

Keshav Padmanabhan (India) converses with debut novelist Pujya Priyadarshini (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
11:20 am - 11:45 am
TEA TIME
11:45 am - 01:00 pm
Travellers’ Tales
By Enrique Criado Navamuel Spain, John Brady Kiesling USA, Monisha Advani India, Sadhna Shanker India

Monisha Advani (India) attempts to understand the travelling lenses of writers in conversation with Enrique Criado Navamuel (Spain), John Brady Kiesling (USA), Sadhna Shanker (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana
11:45 am - 01:00 pm
Let us Talk about Latin America
By Alberto Guani Uruguay, Ernesto Pinto-Bazurco Rittler Peru, Jorge Heine Chile, Mariano Caucino Argentina

Jorge Heine (Chile) chairs a conversation with Mariano Caucino (Argentina), Ernesto Pinto-Bazurco Rittler (Peru) and Alberto Guani (Uruguay) on the region’s histories, connections and contemporary perspectives.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Wonder Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
12:05 am - 01:00 pm
The Tortuous Evolution of SAARC
By Kallol Bhattacherjee India, Tariq Ahmed Karim Bangladesh

Kallol Bhattacherjee (India) in conversation with Tariq Ahmed Karim (Bangladesh) on his book
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
12:15 pm - 01:00 pm
Words as Companion Series
By Luís Filipe Castro Mendes Portugal, Olesia Mamchych Ukraine

Olesia Mamchych (Ukraine) in conversation with Luís Filipe Castro Mendes (Portugal)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
LUNCH TIME
02:00 pm - 03:15 pm
The West Asia Imbroglio
By Anil Trigunayat India, Narayanappa Janardhan India, Navdeep Suri India, Talmiz Ahmad India

Talmiz Ahmad (India) chairs a conversation with Narayanappa Janardhan (India), Navdeep Suri (India) and Anil Trigunayat (India) on the shifting geopolitical landscape of West Asia and the complex forces shaping the Middle East.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana
02:15 pm - 03:15 pm
Diplomats after Dark
By Firat Sunel Türkiye, Krishnan Srinivasan India, Padma Rao Sundarji India, Thomas Prinz Germany

Padma Rao (India) in conversation with Krishnan Srinivasan (India), Thomas Prinz (Germany), and Firat Sunel (Turkey) on crime fictions and thrillers
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Wonder Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
02:15 pm - 03:15 pm
Spaces We Call Home: Diaspora & Belonging
By Abdulla Shahid Maldives, Ani Yeremyan Armenia, Dnyaneshwar Mulay India, Mookhesswur Choonee Mauritius

Abdulla Shahid (Maldives) chairs a conversation with Ani Yeremyan (Armenia), Mookhesswur Choonee (Mauritius) and Dnyaneshwar Mulay (India)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
02:35 pm - 03:15 pm
Ties that Bind?
By Mpho Boshego South Africa, Nasmeem Farhin Akhtar India

Nasmeem Farhin Akhtar (India) in conversation with Mpho Boshego (South Africa) on her debut novel Diplomatic Ties.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
02:15 pm - 03:45 pm
TEA TIME
03:45 pm - 05:00 pm
The Evolving China Dynamics
By Ganbold Gonchig Mongolia , Madan Kumar Bhattarai Nepal, Nalin Surie India

Nalin Surie (India) chairs a conversation with Gonchig Ganbold (Mongolia) and Madan Kumar Bhattarai (Nepal)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana
03:45 pm - 05:00 pm
Reporting, Diplomacy & Crisis
By Branimir Farkaš Croatia, Dr. Waiel Awwad Syria, Padma Rao Sundarji India, S Venkat Narayan India

S. Venkat Narayan (India) chairs a conversation with Branimir Farkaš (Croatia), Dr. Waiel Awwad (Syria) and Padma Rao (India) on how journalism navigates diplomacy, conflict and crisis—and shapes our understanding of a changing world.
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Wonder Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
03:45 pm - 05:00 pm
Soft Power & Diplomacy
By Enrique Criado Navamuel Spain, Poonam Surie India, T.C.A. Raghavan India, Vikas Swarup India

T.C.A. Raghavan (India) chairs a conversation with Poonam Surie (India), Vikas Swarup (India), Enrique Criado Navamuel (Spain).
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Flytta Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
04:15 pm - 05:00 pm
Words as Companion Series
By Krishnan Srinivasan India, Mandla Langa South Africa

Krishnan Srinivasan (India) in conversation with Mandla Langa (South Africa)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Gomber Hall, Raffles University Neemrana
05:30 pm - 07:15 pm
Valedictory Ceremony
By Welcome to our WBBLITFEST

CHIEF GUEST
Shri Haribhau Kisanrao Bagade
(Governor of Rajasthan)

GUEST OF HONOUR
Shri Pramod Pandurang Sawant
(Chief Minister - Goa)
Session Plan :: 2026
Where
Auditorium, Raffles University Neemarana

Hospitality Partner

Academic Partner

The Countdown Begins

Every second brings us closer to a festival where words transcend borders & voices from around the world come together on one stage.

FREE Admission

Student Registration

Visitor Registration

OFFICIAL BOOKSTORE

The WBBLITFEST Official Bookstore, in association with Oxford Bookstore, brings festival authors and their works together in one place. Browse, discover and take home books that carry the conversations beyond the festival.