Described by many as the ‘greatest literary show on earth’, the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival is on its way to its customary grand opening on 24 January 2019. The five-day event promises to bring together renowned writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sportspeople, and entertainers from across the world to engage in meaningful debate and dialogue. The ‘Kumbh’ of literature will be back with its brand of infectious energy in its twelfth year at its home, the historic Diggi Palace Hotel.
Here are seven things to look forward to at the upcoming edition.
- The Jaipur Music Stage
The Jaipur Music Stage will be held in the evenings during the festival. It brings together hitherto undiscovered collaborations and unique sounds, from Indian folk to international and indie music. Performing artistes include Indian Ocean, L. Subramaniam, DubFX, Jasbir Jassi, Kutle Khan, and the Nooran Sisters amongst others.
- The Festival Bazaar
Every year, a part of the festival is transformed into a heaving, pulsating bazaar where artisans, craftsmen, designers, and entrepreneurs display and sell a vast array of hard-to-resist wares. These include embroidered shawls, exquisite minakari jewellery, funky stationery, spiffy footwear, and beautiful home décor.
- Heritage Evenings
Each year, the festival celebrates Jaipur’s cultural heritage in a series of breathtaking events supported by Rajasthan Tourism. This year, these will be held at the Jawahar Kala Kendra and the Amber Fort. There will be a vibrant showcase narrating the diversity and unity of the rich cultural traditions of Kutch through its prevalent fashions coupled with folk music. Theyyam, a ritualistic art form from Kerala, will also be performed among others.
- Book-Signing Sessions and Launches
The festival has a number of book-signing kiosks where you can get authors like Anita Nair, Anuradha Roy, Ben Okri, Colson Whitehead, Gulzar, Germaine Greer, Jeffery Archer, Shabana Azmi, Shashi Tharoor, Sohaila Abdulali, and many more to sign copies of their books. Latest books like Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantment, Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd’s From a Shepherd Boy to an Intellectual, Navin Chawla’s Every Vote Counts: The Story of Elections in India, Namita Gokhale and Pushpesh Pant’s Raag Pahaadi will be released at JLF..
- The Delegate Experience
The specially-curated Delegate Packages give one an opportunity to get a close-up view of the festival. As a festival delegate, you can access a well-stocked and luxurious Delegate Lounge to take a break, sip chai, bite into a samosa, and recharge your phone. You can also attend exclusive Delegate-only sessions, meet interesting people, and be invited to a swish Delegate Cocktail. These Delegate Packages range from ₹6,000 per day to ₹23,000 for five days.
- A Culinary Treat
The five days of festivities at the Festival also offer a chance to indulge in a delectable culinary affair. A large number of food stalls spring up at the festival hub, serving a variety of food and beverages ranging from paranthas, sandwiches, and pizzas to even rajma-chawal and the Diggi family’s special palak-patta chaat and khullad–chai.
- Art at JLF
Marc Quinn will feature in a session, After Bloodhead, exploring what it is to be human in the world today. There will be a live public art demonstration by Abhishek Singh, who will capture the festival on canvas. Jaipur-based artist Sandip Gomay will be using live human models as his canvas. The artwork he creates is such that when spectators get their pictures clicked with it, it’ll appear as if they have just entered a painting.
