A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
Hailed as the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’, the Jaipur Literature Festival 2022, after a smashing 5 days online, opens tomorrow on-ground at its magnificent new home at Clarks Amer in the Pink City. Featuring eminent speakers, the iconic Festival will showcase a line-up of brilliantly curated sessions. The Festival will run on-ground from 10th-14th March 2022. Simultaneously, sessions will continue to be virtually streamed, making it the largest hybrid literary festival on Earth.
Author, historian and Jaipur Literature Festival Co-director William Dalrymple said, "We have gathered talent from across the globe — from Zanzibar to Montreal and the Caribbean to Indonesia via Hollywood, Istanbul and Brick Lane— to present writers of genius as diverse as any literary festival on the planet. This year’s is a truly spectacular line-up of literary superstars from across the world. In fiction, we have this year’s Nobel Prize winner, Abdul Razak Gurnah, and Booker winner, Damon Galgut, as well as his predecessors Monica Ali & DBC Pierre. We have America’s most acclaimed novelist, Jonathan Franzen, Irish genius Colm Toibin and Turkish superstar Elif Shafak. We have this year’s Baillie Gifford winner, Patrick Radden Keefe on opioids, Harvard’s Vincent Brown on slave revolts and the great Steven Pinker on reason. We have Charlotte Higgins talking about Greek Myths, Benjamin Brose talk on Xuanzang, Rob Macfarlane on nature-writing, and Rupert Everett on Hollywood. We have Andrew Lownie on Mountbatten, Vidya Dehejia on Chola bronzes, Lisa Taddeo on women’s sexuality, Colin Thubron on the Amur River and James Fox on colour. We also have a special focus on archaeology and ancient history: Upinder Singh on ancient India, Cat Jarman on the Vikings, Himanshu Prabha Rai on medieval Indian sea power, Andrea Acri on Tantric Buddhism and Irving Finkel on the Ghosts of Mesopotamia. It's going to be cerebral heaven: an utterly magnificent feast of mind-sustaining inspiration and we look forward to welcoming you back to Jaipur!”
Today’s Highlights:
During today’s virtual Festival, a session featured celebrated Indian singer Usha Uthup, journalist Srishti Jha and musician Vidya Shah for a discussion on The Queen of Pop -The Authorized Biography. When asked by Shah about how Uthup felt seeing her journey captured in a book which has been translated by Jha into English, she said it felt really overwhelming. While talking about Shri Vikas Kumar Jha’s Ullas Ki Nav, Usha Uthup noted that it was celebrated at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2 years ago. “I can’t even imagine that it has been 2 years already and here we are together…it’s always wonderful to be at the rich Festival. The first time I ever heard of a lit fest was because of Jaipur Literature Festival and I think it is just fantastic for me to be a part of this,” said Usha. Later in the conversation, Vidya Shah said, “The Festival has this seamless way of making these connections - between music, between culture, between literature - and I think that’s what makes it so special!”
At another session, academic Indrajit Roy, author Harsh Mander and filmmaker, columnist, and author Natasha Badhwar explored the politics of hope amidst growing anxieties and questions for the future of democratic citizenship in India. The panel talked about the realism of hope in turbulent times - they responded to the crisis that has been so apparent in the last few years, worldwide. While talking about the intrinsic quality of goodness in human nature, Mander said, “The arc of history may be long but in the end, it bends towards justice…I am convinced about that."
British writer Monica Ali discussed her first new comeback novel Love Marriage- a story about two very different families thrown together by a whirlwind engagement. It is a social comedy but also a gripping tale of the social and cultural strains of love and the institution of marriage. In conversation with writer and journalist Bee Rowlatt, Ali discussed “who we are and how we love in today’s Britain”.
At another session, the High Commission of Canada to India, Amanda Strohan, said, “The High Commission of Canada is delighted to partner with the Jaipur Literature Festival. There is an exciting line-up of conversations with authors and artists from around the world. Several Canadian participants will be discussing themes such as gender equality and women’s empowerment…this Festival is an important forum for cultural diplomacy, allowing countries to better understand and learn from each other.” During the conversation, Afghan-Canadian singer, media personality and women’s right activist Mozhdah Jamalzadah said, “Thank you so much to the Jaipur Literature Festival. It is an absolute honour to be here, albeit virtually…I wish I was there in India with you all because it is one of my favourite countries in the world!”
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