Anticipation is building for the seventeenth edition of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, scheduled to take place from 1st to 5th of February at Hotel Clarks Amer in the vibrant Pink City of Jaipur. In its annual celebration of literature, this ‘Kumbh of literature’ is set to host a stellar ensemble of writers, speakers, thinkers, and humanitarians, each contributing their unique perspective to the discourse. The Festival’s programme is a testament to its commitment to linguistic diversity, featuring a compelling array of 10 Indian languages and 7 international languages.
For its 2024 edition, the Festival will host over 250 speakers from across a vast array of nationalities, as well as recipients of major awards such as the Booker, International Booker, the Pulitzer, the Sahitya Akademi, Padma Shree, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Baillie Gifford, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, the JCB Prize for Literature and many more. Announced today, the programme will feature a range of themes including the Fiction & Non Fiction, Crime Fiction, Literary Criticism, History, Politics & Current Affairs, Poetry, Art & Culture, Translation, Graphic Novels, Gender, Science & Medicine, Food & Memory, Biographies & Memoir, Mythology, Spirituality and Religion, Mental Health, Fashion and Lifestyle, Law and Justice, Geopolitics, Sports, Climate Change, Environment & Climate Justice, Pet Parents, Pets & Animals, Cities, Literary Icons Through The Ages, Art & Architecture, Bollywood & Cinema, Economics amongst others.
Sharing her thoughts on the programme, Namita Gokhale, writer, publisher, and Co-Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “The Jaipur Literature Festival brings the world to Jaipur and takes Jaipur to the world. It is our commitment to showcase Indian languages and writers and platform voices that represent the rich diversity of Indian literary traditions. From Sanskrit and Awadhi to Odiya, Asamiya and Bangla, from Tamil, Malayalam and Kannadiga, to Hindi, Rajasthani, Urdu and Punjabi, we present a spectrum of Indian languages and literary sensibilities. We have a special emphasis on Oral Traditions which explores expressions of indigenous and tribal voices and identity.”
“We also bring an interplay of world literatures across continents and cultures. The joyous multi-vocality and spontaneous cosmopolitanism of the Jaipur Literature Festival reflect in every aspect of our literary imagination and programming.” Gokhale mentioned.
Talking about the programme for the upcoming 17th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival, William Dalrymple, writer, historian and Co-Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “Every year we try and raise the bar at the Jaipur Literature Festival, but 2024 will be our finest festival yet. We are proud to present almost all the year’s most celebrated writers from around the world: the greatest novelists & poets, environmentalists and investigative journalists, historians and biographers, scientists and economists, artists and art historians, travel writers and humourists, literary critics and philosopher-feminists: a free-flowing gathering of great literary minds and extraordinary thinkers that is like a global super symposium or mega university opening its gates for anyone who wants to attend for five whole days for free. It is going to be utterly extraordinary and should on no account be missed!”
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “In 2024, the 17th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival focuses on themes including Literary Criticism, Science & Medicine, Environment & Climate Justice, Law and Justice, Mental Health, Geopolitics etc. A constellation of award-winning writers including luminaries like Damon Galgut, Mary Beard, Hernan Diaz, B. Jeyamohan, Simon Schama, Mridula Garg, and Marcus du Sautoy will headline the distinguished line-up.”
South Asia’s biggest publishing conclave, the prestigious Jaipur BookMark (JBM), returns to the annual Jaipur Literature Festival with its tenth edition. JBM is a busy B2B segment of the Jaipur Literature Festival that focuses on the business of publishing and books. From ideas and conversations that sparkle to the serious business of selling rights, JBM is the open, business-friendly and creative space where publishers, authors, translators, editors, agents and bookstore owners meet and build relationships that lead to growth in business & trade. This year, the focus would be on emerging trends- AI, podcasts, micro-audio content, Indian-language publishing platforms; OTT and publishing; self- publishing; rewriting the rulebook in retail and marketing; the ecosystem of translation; educational and trade publishing: areas of common concern; and honouring stalwarts in Indian publishing etc. JBM will run from 1st to 5th January, parallel to Jaipur Literature Festival.