Jaipur Literature Festival goes hybrid in 2022

The iconic annual Jaipur Literature Festival will be back at its cherished home - Jaipur - in a hybrid avatar with both its on-ground magnificence as well as its nifty virtual presence. The hybrid version will enable a larger audience to access the Festival offerings, reaching out to book-lovers across continents. It will be a powerful feast of literature, discourse and camaraderie.

Teamwork Arts, the Festival producer, announced the dates for its landmark 15th edition, setting them between 28th January - 6th February 2022. The virtual sessions will go live from 28th January to 6th February with an extended online experience.

2022 heralds new beginnings when the Festival will combine the cautious optimism of a post-pandemic world along with the sheer joy that books can bring - both online and on-ground. The Festival will represent all Indian national languages and multiple foreign languages too with over 300 hours of programming with and over 250 speakers.

For over a decade, Jaipur has played host to the annual Jaipur Literature Festival, dubbed the 'greatest literary show on Earth', a haven for literature-lovers and festival-goers alike. After a much successful virtual edition of the Festival last year, with over 10 million views worldwide, the 2022 edition will introduce the audience to the brand new and 'super' hybrid version at a spanking new venue with an enhanced experience and facilities. The Festival will be organised at Hotel Clarks Amber, Jaipur with added facilities to accommodate footfalls and will follow COVID 19 safety protocols as per government guidelines.

This first-ever truly hybrid literary extravaganza will showcase a plethora of themes and writers curated specially for audiences across the world, offering an immersive experience of literature, discourse, musical performances, art installations, merchandise, local cuisine and more. In its milestone hybrid edition, the Festival aims to be even wider in its reach and longer in duration, covering 10 days.

The first list of 15 speakers released today includes Indian poet and author of the latest Women Who Wear Only Themselves Arundhathi Subramaniam; Delhi-based vascular and endovascular surgeon, writer and Director of the Vascular Cath Lab at Sir Ganga Ram hospital Dr. Ambarish Satwik; eminent art critic, art historian B.N. Goswamy; senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, former Portuguese politician and author Bruno Maeees; bio archaeologist and field archaeologist specialising in the Viking Age, Viking women and Rapa Nui Dr. Cat Jarman; 2021 Booker Prize winner for his novel The Promise Damon Galgut; Australian author and 2003 Booker Prize winner for his debut novel Vernon God Little DBC Pierre; Indian-born British writer, playwright and screenwriter Farrukh Dhondy.


The list continues with National Book Award-winning author and 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist Jonathan Franzen; author of several critically acclaimed novels, including The Miniaturist and Kalkatta and a collection of stories titled The Japanese Wife Kunal Basu; academic and author of Cultivating Democracy: Politics and Citizenship in Agrarian India Mukulika Banerjee; member of parliament and author Dr. Shashi Tharoor; debutant novelist of the latest Equations Shivani Sibal; historian and author of three acclaimed books, Sixteen Stormy Days, Imperial Sovereignty and Local Politics and the latest Nehru: The Debates that Defined India Tripurdaman Singh; historian and the author of four acclaimed books, with his latest being Savarkar: A Contested Legacy, 1924-1966 Vikram Sampath.

Namita Gokhale, writer, publisher, and Co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, "January 2022 will see the much awaited return of our physical festival, as well as a stellar virtual version. We look forward to the joys of welcoming book lovers and friends from the literary community. The intense pleasures of shared energies and real time conversations will be further enhanced by the infinite possibilities of digital connectivity across continents and time zones. We are delighted to welcome writers from far and near, including Bruno Maeees, Arundhathi Subramaniam, Mukulika Banerjee, Shashi Tharoor, Tripurdaman Singh, and Vikram Sampath. Our programming will as ever present a spectrum of literary delights while remaining rooted in the rich diversity of Indian writing and culture. Watch out for the Maha-Kumbh of literature, where the world visits Jaipur and Jaipur visits the world!"

William Dalrymple, writer, historian and Co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said: "I am completely thrilled that our beloved literature festival is returning to Jaipur after a spell online due to the pandemic. We are coming back with a truly spectacular line-up of literary superstars from across the world. In fiction, we have this year's Booker winner, the great Damon Galgut, his predecessor DBC Pierre, Pulitzer finalist Jonathan Franzen. It's going to be utterly magnificent and we look forward to seeing you in Jaipur from the 28th January."


Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, who produce the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, "There has never been a more powerful feast of literature, discourse and camaraderie than the annual Jaipur Literature Festival. This year's hybrid version will enable a much larger audience to access the Festival offerings, reaching out to people across continents. Teamwork Arts invites book-lovers to be a part of this milestone Festival in its newest avatar."

Highlights

- Festival Dates: The on-ground Festival will run from 28th January to 1st February 2022. The virtual edition of Jaipur Literature Festival 2022 is scheduled from 28th January to 6th February 2022.


- First List of Speakers Announced: Arundhathi Subramaniam, Ambarish Satwik, B.N. Goswamy, Bruno Maeees, Cat Jarman, Damon Galgut, DBC Pierre, Farrukh Dhondy, Jonathan Franzen, Kunal Basu, Mukulika Banerjee, Shashi Tharoor, Shivani Sibal, Tripurdaman Singh and Vikram Sampath.

- Volunteer Programme: The Jaipur Literature Festival runs a successful Volunteer programme that forms the backbone of its operations while offering young enthusiasts an unmatched enriching experience, enabling them to see first-hand what goes into making and managing a festival of this scale. A 250-strong 'army' of dedicated volunteers work across the Festival's 25 departments. Volunteer registrations are open till December 5, 2021.

- Registration and Delegate Packages: Online registration for the Festival is mandatory and attendees can register via the Festival website. Visitors can also buy Delegate Packages to experience the Festival's magic, while mingling with authors, interacting with industry players, relaxing in the Delegate Lounge, and enjoying the Jaipur Music Stage and Heritage Evening.- IANS