The 2016 edition of Jaipur Literature Festival commences tomorrow. Here’s a glimpse of everything we look forward to at the festival.
Every January, the ethnic community of the beautiful city of Jaipur, along with readers from all over the world, gather to celebrate the vast literary history of the country. Jaipur Literature Festival prides itself in being one of the largest literature festivals in the world, held in the truly majestic Diggi Palace Hotel. This five-day festival celebrates the excellence and intricacies of Indian, Rajasthani, as well as international writing, music and culture. Take a look at everything the festival has to offer at this year’s edition.
The speakers
The premier literary festival of the country is known for its easy-going vibe and insightful discussions moderated by some of noted intellectuals. Celebrating writers from across the world, the festival has hosted some of the best regarded and loved names ranging from Nobel Laureates and Man Booker Prize winners at the event. Every year, the festival has an expansive list of speakers who deliver seminars and workshops on literary and socially/culturally relevant matters. This year, the speakers include many brilliant and well-known names such as Margo Jefferson, Anupam Kher, Javed Akhtar, Karan Johar, Stephen Fry, Shobha De, Ruskin Bond, Margaret Atwood, and many more. View the entire list of speakers here.
The select speakers we’re immensely excited about are – Ruskin Bond, India’s adored storyteller, in conversation with Ravi Singh, Margaret Atwood, the phenomenal author of The Handmaid’s Tale and many more acclaimed works of fiction, taking the stage, and Stephen Fry, with his quick wit and undeniable charm.
Lastly, we’re extraordinarily stoked about what Steve McCurry will rbing to the table. His body of work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions and contemporary culture alike—yet always retains the human element that made his celebrated image of the ‘Afghan Girl’ so powerful. We look forward to seeing him at the festival.
The music
If literature is not your thing, Jaipur Lit Fest has a concise, but immensely eclectic music lineup as well. Aiming to create a truly cohesive experience, this festival features acts from India and beyond. This year’s lineup features acts such as Anirban Bhattacharyya, a Hindustani classical vocalist from Kolkata, Nathoo Lal Solanki, who has performed with the likes of Indian Ocean, Prem Joshua, etc, the Kutle Khan Project, MidivalPunditz, Skavengers, Karsh Kale, and many more. Take a look at the morning lineup here, and the evening lineup here.
Book launches
With every year, Jaipur Lit Fest sees some amazing literary works published. This time the festival programme includes several book launches that we’re excited about. Some of these include Thunderstorm by Ratan Kumar Sambharia, Rituparno Ghosh: Cinema, Gender & Art, and many more. The great thing about the festival this year, is that the focus has been shifted somewhat to regional writing and the method of translation. We’d really like to see the regional works that emerge at the festival this year. Take a look at the programme here.
(All Images Via: jaipurliteraturefestival.org)