Jaipur: As the highly anticipated seventeenth edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival approaches, a tantalizing glimpse into this globally renowned literary event was showcased at The Leela Palace, New Delhi, by Festival Producer Teamwork Arts. Set to unfold from February 1st to 5th at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur, the festival continues its tradition of attracting an illustrious lineup, featuring writers, speakers, thinkers, sports personalities, journalists, policymakers, and social activists.
The festival promises a rich mosaic of linguistic diversity, with sessions offered in 16 Indian and 8 international languages. Indian languages featured include Assamese, Awadhi, Banjara Language - Lamani (Lambada), Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Kurukh, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Sanskrit, Tamil, Toda, and Urdu.
The 2024 edition boasts a stellar lineup of approximately 550 speakers and artists from diverse nationalities, including recipients of prestigious awards like the Booker, International Booker, Pulitzer, Sahitya Akademi, Dada Saheb Phalke Award, DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, JCB Prize for Literature, and more. Covering an extensive range of themes, including Fiction & Non-Fiction, Literary Criticism, History, Politics & Current Affairs, Economics, Poetry, Art & Culture, Art & Architecture, Translation, Graphic Novels, Gender, Science & Medicine, Food & Memory, Biographies & Memoirs, Mythology, Spirituality & Religion, Mental Health, Fashion & Lifestyle, Law & Justice, Geopolitics, Sports, Crime Fiction, Climate Change + Environment & Climate Justice, Pet Parents + Pets & Animals, Cities, Literary Icons Through The Ages, Bollywood & Cinema, among others.
Namita Gokhale, Co-Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, expressed, "In our seventeenth year, we remain dedicated to the rich diversity of our multilingual literary heritage, exploring a universe of ideas and themes. The festival program can be explored on our website."
Co-Director William Dalrymple added, "2024 promises to be our most exceptional edition yet, presenting celebrated writers from around the world for five free days of intellectual engagement."
Managing Director Sanjoy K. Roy emphasized the festival's vision of inclusivity and global interdisciplinary conversations. The concurrent Jaipur BookMark (JBM), South Asia’s premier publishing conclave in its 11th edition, will run alongside the festival, featuring key stakeholders from the publishing world.
The Delhi Curtain Raiser at The Leela Palace featured a mesmerizing performance by Mohd. Rafiq Khan Langa, representing the illustrious family of Langa, traditional folk singers of Rajasthan.
Anjali Mehra, Chief Brand Officer and Senior Vice President Marketing of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, expressed pride in partnering with the Jaipur Literature Festival for the third consecutive year, celebrating a shared passion for literary arts, heritage, culture, and tradition.
Highlight Sessions at JBM include discussions on translation, literary friendships, Indian language publishing, and insights from the OTT and publishing industry. The conclave aims to delve into crucial aspects of the business of books, spanning five days of engaging sessions with global publishing experts.
