So, the Jaipur Literature Festival is finally back!!!
The world’s biggest literary festival, the Jaipur Literature Festival 2023, is back, and we couldn’t be more excited. Here is a conglomerate, a meetup that is much more than books and music, providing the ideal platform for readers, writers, and thinkers. A true fusion of cultures and thoughts, here is a common ground where all of us can come and share a part of ourselves—our thoughts, our words, our ideas, and so much more.
Yay! It is finally here! the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2023. The Mother and the Baap, as I like to call them, of all possible literary events The oomph and the brilliance, the glitz and the glam of the reading and writing worlds—this is one place we all come together once a year and celebrate reading and writing.
This year is super-duper special for me. With COVID-19 having taken a chunk out of our lives and put us several paces behind, it is natural that we are excited about the world getting back to normal. A literary event which is as fulfilling as it is exciting, the JLF, as we all refer to it fondly, is going to be one rocker this year with a host of activities planned for each day.
I visited the festival for the first time in 2020. Back then, it was absolutely amazing to see how everyone—from youngsters to even elderly, experienced writers and readers—seemed to come together to congregate seamlessly on a common platform, joined by the power of words.
Being an avid reader and writer, I always feel that occasions like these tend to bring out the best in all of us since they provide the perfect opportunity to put across our thoughts in a manner that is both universal and yet uniquely appealing.
With the 16th edition of the JLF, all set to sizzle and rock, the fest will feature more than 250 speakers from around the globe and also represent more than 20 Indian and 14 international languages. This year is going to be jam-packed with activities, and I can’t wait to see the ball drop.
So, want to know who’s coming? This edition of the JLF is playing host to some of the world’s best literary writers, including Geetanjali Shree, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Shehzan Karunatilaka, Bernadine Evaristo, Ruth Ozeki, Marlon James, and several other notable, acclaimed, and top personalities from the world of writing.
You know what the real “Sone pe suhaaga” is? Well, the Jaipur Music Stage is a 3-day programme that is held simultaneously alongside the JLF. This one pertains to world music and boasts an array of artists and multiple genres. With a varied line-up and unique pieces to scatter, this is one place I feel is truly borderless, with simple adrenaline coursing through your veins when you watch top-class performances from across the world, from jazz to rock and roll to ghazals and much more.
The FOF-Friends of the Festival dubbed the “holy grail of festivals,” is this year’s special addition that has made the festival more approachable. This is a special package that will allow visitors to enjoy better access and insight into the festival. Delegates will be provided with an exclusive FOF lounge as well as additional services such as shuffle services, airport transfers, fun evenings, cocktails, music, and a heritage evening against the spectacular backdrop of the Amer Fort.
Yes, guys, Jaipur will literally glow, and that too with an incandescent radiance, an energy that has rarely been witnessed before. This four-day extravaganza features incredible sessions featuring the best writers, thinkers, and leaders, as well as artists and entertainers. Indeed, it is called the greatest literary show on Earth for a reason.
I heard someone say this year’s fest will feature a session including Emily Perkins, Eugenia Kuznetsova, Ana Filomena Amaral, Saskya Jain, and others, focusing on how a writer captures the life of a woman in a piece of writing. This one discusses both the political as well as social implications of writing, but from a feminist point of view, this one is a must-look-forward-to.
I also heard that JLF 2023 has brought back the School Outreach Programme in a collaboration with Pratham Books to involve more and more children and youngsters in the festival. With planned conversations, story-telling, book readings, and illustration workshops, this one is sure to impact many children, and that too with a clearly defined positive cause. I mean, just imagine how Edward Chancellor, Kristine Roskifte, Rana Safvi, Varun Gupta, and other notable names will interact with the children!
Wait, did I mention the best part? Well, don’t get sour if you are not attending and feeling that major FOMO because the festival will live stream some key sessions on the fest’s microsite, where audiences from around the world can access them free of charge.
So, what are you waiting for? Keep your eyes peeled for the biggest literary festival of the year. Also, stay tuned with us right here at Booxoul, because I am attending and I cannot wait to share all the news, views, and juice with you guys!
See you, guys. Jaipur I am coming!