Rajasthan gears up for ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival

The world class programming of the Festival reflected in the list of speakers slated to attend the Festival in January including India’s most beloved and prolific storyteller Ruskin Bond; this year’s Man Booker Prize winner Marlon James; India’s most celebrated psychoanalyst and author Sudhir Kakar; Stephen Fry, one of the world’s best known actors and comedians; Hindi journalist, poet and novelist Uday Prakash, one of the leading figures in modern Indian literature; Alka Saraogi, Hindi novelist and short story writer; Colm Tóibín , Ireland’s greatest living writer; poet, novelist and essayist Margaret Atwood; French economist and global voice on wealth and income inequality Thomas Piketty; creator of one of the landmarks of modern American literature Tales of the City Armistead Maupin; and activist and writer Bant Singh, whose tragic and inspiring story of resistance to the atrocities he suffered as a Dalit Indian is a story of empowerment as well as a mirror to the fault lines in a still feudal society.

Audiences joining in Jaipur for the world’s largest free literary festival should ensure they register before the Festival starts, either online or at the Festival registration on site in Jaipur between Jan 17-20 until 9 pm.

Audiences can also choose to register as delegates for additional benefits and access including the opportunity to rub shoulders with authors and speakers over lunches and dinners, access to concerts at the music stage, great rates at local hotels, an invitation to the Writers’ Ball and networking with publishing industry professionals.

It is still possible to register as a delegate with a pre-festival rate available until Jan 20.

Given the international demographic of both the Festival’s visitors and speakers, title sponsor ZEE Entertainment continues to support the festival, fitting well with their vision, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (The World is My Family).

Other returning partners include the Venue Partners -Mahindra Humanities Centre and Series Partner - The Indian Quarterly, Series Partners - The Aga Khan Foundation and supporters YPO, Penguin and Ambit. Continuing their longstanding support of the festival are the Jan Michalski Foundation, The Glenlivet, Kingfisher and Full Circle, who will manage the Festival Bookstore.

This year, the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival is powered by Airtel, bringing fresh support to its objective making literature accessible for all, alongside Reckitt Benckiser’s Dettol Banega Swacch India which comes on board as a Cause Partner, Healthcare Partners Narayana Health, and Series Partners The Getty Foundation and State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur.

Namita Gokhale, writer, publisher and co-director of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, said, "It's that time of year again! We welcome all the book lovers who, year after year make the ZEE Jaipur literature festival the success it is, to another extraordinary edition of this celebration of books, ideas and dialogue.  Do spread the word and please register well in time. See you soon at Diggi Palace!”

William Dalrymple, writer and co-director of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, said, "Each January the excitement of what we are about to experience in Jaipur mounts. Never more so than this year with what is possibly our finest line up ever.”

Sanjoy K. Roy, Director of Teamwork Arts, producers of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “All roads lead to Jaipur as people come together to celebrate literature and ideas and enjoy the winter sun in one of the world’s most charming cities.”

Image: Wikimedia Commons