The Jaipur Literature Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious and iconic literary gatherings, will host Kartikeya Vajpai as he presents his debut novel, The Unbecoming, in a special session on January 18, 2026.
The session marks Vajpai’s first appearance at the festival and the formal unveiling of The Unbecoming before an international audience of readers, writers and thinkers. He will be joined by senior journalist Sanjay Pugalia, with the conversation led by Milee Ashwarya, Publishing Director at Penguin Random House India.
A work that has drawn attention for its contemplative tone and philosophical depth, The Unbecomingexplores questions of identity, ambition and inner clarity. With a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the novel reflects a long engagement with meditation, sport and self-enquiry, and introduces a thoughtful new voice in contemporary Indian literary fiction.
At the Jaipur Literature Festival, Vajpai will reflect on the ideas and personal experiences that shaped the book, offering insight into the journey from inner reflection to the written page. The discussion will examine themes of mentorship, expectation and the quiet courage required to let go of inherited identities in pursuit of authenticity. Pugalia will bring a wider cultural and public-life perspective to the exchange, situating the book’s ideas within the context of modern Indian society.
Published by Penguin Random House India, The Unbecoming follows the evolving relationship between Siddharth, a celebrated cricketer, and his mentor Ajay, blending narrative storytelling with philosophical enquiry. Through their shifting dynamic, the novel considers the tension between external success and inner fulfilment, and the transformative role of stillness and awareness in contemporary life.
Speaking about bringing his book to the Festival, Kartikeya Vajpai said, “The Unbecoming emerged from a long journey of questioning and inner attention. Presenting it at the Jaipur Literature Festival, where conversations are unhurried and curiosity is valued, feels like bringing the book home to its natural audience.”
A New Delhi–based lawyer, former state-level cricketer and long-time practitioner of meditative disciplines including Transcendental Meditation, Tibetan Mahayana Mahamudra meditation, and Mahavatar Babaji’sKriya Yoga, Vajpai draws on lived experience to shape his writing. The Unbecoming marks his debut as a novelist and signals the arrival of a reflective voice grounded in inquiry and awareness.
The session promises an intimate and engaging conversation, inviting audiences to encounter a book that asks not how to become more, but how to return to what already is.
Author’s Introduction:-
Kartikeya is a distinguished advocate and the founder of a boutique law firm in New Delhi. He dons several hats and is an MBA by training and a corporate marketing expert who balances boardroom strategy with courtroom acumen. Yet it is cricket that first revealed to him the unifying thread of his life’s work: the disciplined pursuit of a meditative flow state. Kartikeya debuted for his state at the under-14 nationals by the young age of eleven and now plays for Team India Lawyers in the Lawyers’ Cricket World Cup.
Another deep influence in his life was the early introduction to yogic concentration practice of tratak, later deepened through formal instruction in Transcendental Meditation, Tibetan Mahayana Mahamudra meditation, and Mahavatar Babaji’s Kriya Yoga.
His maiden work of fiction gathers the insights of this inner pilgrimage, offering readers a powerful yet fluid testament to the wisdom discovered when professional mastery meets spiritual inquiry.
Books introduction:-
“The Unbecoming” is a work of spiritual fiction that uses cricket to illuminate flow, mindfulness, and the fullness of the five senses—showing how authentic performance arises from within, how time can dilate for those wholly present, and how each delivery invites a step from the known into the unknown. It also reflects on comebacks in sport and in life.
The foreword is by H.H. the Dalai Lama, with an introduction by Swami Sarvapriyananda, and the early global response has been deeply encouraging. I am sharing glimpses from the Delhi launch and reflections offered by the dignitaries who attended.