JLF Soneva Fushi is a ten-day festival celebrating literature, art, culture and live performances. The event is a collaboration between Teamwork Arts, the producers of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) and Soneva. This is the first edition of JLF at Soneva Fushi, Maldives. With over 30 international authors part of the JLF, all guests attending the festival will have the opportunity to attend their sessions and connect with them directly. The uniqueness of this Festival is that only 200 guests can attend which will ensure each guest can really interact with the speakers.

At Soneva, we believe in Slow Life, which is all about discovering, learning and living experiences at their fullest. By partnering with Teamwork Arts, we celebrate culture, art, literature and music, which are part of our core offerings. JLF Soneva Fushi brings a new dimension to our rare experiences and also complements our existing Soneva Stars programme.

We encourage guests to attend the full 10 days of the Festival to enjoy all of the sessions and activities that are on offer, as well as the rare experiences at Soneva Fushi, however this is not a requirement. We have a minimum stay of four nights during JLF Soneva Fushi, with the main events being held on the weekends (Friday – Saturday – Sunday).

JLF Soneva Fushi is an event of its own. A specifically curated ten-day-programme which is not part of the Soneva Stars programme but a Festival in its own right. Nevertheless, it does align with the Soneva Stars programme concept of bringing unique and rare experiences for Soneva Fushi guests.

The line-up of world-renowned speakers at JLF Soneva Fushi includes Man Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson; Booker Prize-winning novelist and playwright Damon Galgut; professor in astronomy and physics at Yale University, Priyamvada Natarajan; filmmaker and actor Shekhar Kapur; Booker Prize winner Marlon James; chief foreign correspondent for The Sunday Times, Christina Lamb; award-winning historian and staff writer at The Atlantic, Anne Applebaum; poet and philanthropist William Sieghart; one of the world’s best-known Classicists Mary Beard; Booker and Whitbread Prize winner DBC Pierre, and many more.

Held across 10 days including two weekends, JLF Soneva Fushi’s festival programme invites guests to engage with literature, along with stimulating debates, dialogue and free speech. The event will include exhilarating discourse across themes that include Environment and Climate Change; Poetry; History; Science and Health; musical performances; Oceanography; Astronomy and much more. 

Each weekend, the programme is dedicated to flagship events, including keynote addresses, gala dinners on the sand, sunset poetry cruises, live musical performances and film screenings at Cinema Paradiso. Stand-out sessions include an inaugural address by Soneva co-founders Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, alongside Festival co-directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple and Festival producer Sanjoy K. Roy, followed by welcome cocktails on Turtle Beach; and director Mira Nair in conversation at Cinema Paradiso along with a star-lit screening of Monsoon Wedding; a sunset poetry cruise, hosted by Arundhathi Subramaniam.

Weekdays at JLF Soneva Fushi will focus on more close-knit sessions and author discussions, as well as a range of engaging workshops where guests can unleash their own creativity, including creative arts and writing, Bollywood dancing and glassblowing lessons. In true JLF tradition, each day will start and end with music. Every morning, the festival will begin with a choice of enriching and enlightening sessions that focus on expanding guests’ horizons before breakfast, including yoga and meditation, dance sessions with acclaimed choreographers Gilles Chuyen and Puneeta Roy, guided snorkelling with Soneva Fushi’s resident marine biologist, glassblowing at the Soneva Art & Glass studio, and transforming waste aluminium into art at the Makers’ Place.

Full programme is yet to be confirmed. 

Throughout each day during their stay, guests can explore and indulge in everything that Soneva Fushi has to offer: including miles of pristine sandy beaches edged by tranquil turquoise waters; exquisite private villa accommodation, with Barefoot Butlers on hand 24/7 to anticipate every request; healing rituals and innovative wellness treatments at Soneva Soul; exceptional dining destinations serving the finest cuisine from across the world; and rare, one-of-a-kind experiences that create memories to last a lifetime.

Yes indeed, whilst the Festival will be happening, guests can still experience all of the rare experiences available at Soneva Fushi. Should the guests wish to go on Sonu’s picnic, go diving, enjoy water sports or unwind at Soneva Soul, their Barefoot Butler can assist them. To see all the experiences at Soneva Fushi click here.

Certainly. A Festival within a Festival, JLF Soneva Fushi’s children programme ensures younger guests can enjoy, learn and discover as much as their parents. The Den at Soneva Fushi remains open and a special programme, combining arts and crafts, literature readings by children’s authors, as well as treasure hunts and water sports excursions, will be offered by our team of experts. Parents and children can also enjoy activities together such as Family Yoga and Family Treasure Hunt.