Ashes, Origins and Objects: Rethinking the Ancient World | Jaipur Literature Festival 2026

Описание: Ashes, Origins and Objects: Rethinking the Ancient World
Rubén Montoya González and Josephine Quinn in conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy

A celebration of ancient histories and the stories they continue to tell. Rubén Montoya González’s Pompeya brings the Roman world to life through 100 resonant objects, each a doorway into daily existence and trade routes before the catastrophe. Josephine Quinn’s How the World Made the West reveals the multicultural roots of a civilisation often imagined in isolation. In conversation with festival director and author Sanjoy K. Roy, they explore how objects, ideas, and encounters forged the worlds we inherit.

Rubén Montoya is an adjunct professor of Humanities and Archaeology at IE University. He combines research and writing, bringing the past closer through engaging and insightful narratives. His latest book is Pompeii: A Roman City in 100 Objects. He regularly contributes to National Geographic and Historia y Vida.

Josephine Quinn holds the Chair in Ancient History at the University of Cambridge. She has been a Fellow at the Getty Villa and the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. Her books include In Search of the Phoenicians (2018) and How the World Made the West (2024).

Sanjoy K. Roy, an entrepreneur of the arts, is Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, which produces over 30 festivals in 45 cities and 19 countries, including the world’s largest literary gathering — the Jaipur Literature Festival and international editions of JLF. He is a founder-trustee of Salaam Baalak Trust, working to provide support services for street and working children in the inner city of Delhi where over 1,30,000 children have benefited from education, training and residential services. Roy is the Co-chair of the Art and Culture Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and former President of Event and Entertainment Management Association. He lectures at and works in collaboration with leading universities across the world and has been conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of the University honoris causa by University of York, UK, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the arts and society. His debut book, There’s a Ghost in my Room: Living with the Supernatural, published by HarperCollins, was released in October 2025. It is a kaleidoscopic portrayal, rich in period detail, of his dramatic life, interspersed with enigmatic experiences of supernatural visitations.

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