Why you shouldn’t miss out on Jaipur Literature Festival 2020

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The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), famously known as ‘greatest literary show on Earth’ is all set to return for its 13^th edition from 23 to 27January 2020. The five-day literary extravaganza promises to bring together a line-up of exemplary speakers from India and across the world at the historic Diggi Palace.

JLF is a sumptuous feast of ideas and the past decade has seen it transform into a global literary phenomenon having hosted nearly 2000 speakers and welcoming over a million book-lovers from across India and the globe. For five days, the Pink City is infused with enthusiasm, a riot of colour and infectious energy as literature and art-enthusiasts flock to Jaipur for the Festival. During the Festival days, there are endless places to see and things to do, some of which include insightful sessions and an exciting and buzzing carnival encapsulating a bookstore, food stalls, a bazaar along with artists at work, and multiple parties hosted on the Festival’s fringes.

Here are some reasons why you would not want to miss out on the 13th edition of the festival:

Listen to some of the greatest minds of the world

Jaipur Literature Festival hosts some of the world’s best literary minds and brings them together for several panel discussions and interactions. Experts from diverse fields such as literature, economy, environment, food and science take the stage for stimulating and thought-provoking conversations. Eminent speakers such as recipient of the 2010 Man Booker Prize, Howard Jacobson; Pulitzer-winning authors, Stephen Greenblatt and Dexter Filkins; celebrated culinary expert, Madhur Jaffre; acclaimed author Elizabeth Gilbert and leading Indian film director Vishal Bhardwaj are amongst the first few announced speakers at the Festival for the 2020 edition – so be there to be a part of some life-changing and inspirational sessions!

2. Book-signings and an opportunity to meet your favourite authors

Canadian Writer, Margaret Atwood at Book Signing

For all those literature enthusiasts who have spent days glued to books, turning one page after another captivated by the magic of a well-written novel- JLF offers the perfect opportunity to meet your favourite authors in person. Besides attending noteworthy sessions and witnessing book launches, the Festival also has book-signing kiosks at all venues where you can grab that rare signed copy and earn bragging rights!

3.The Festival Bookstore

As JLF continues to grow in size and number, the books at the Festival Bookshop also keep flying off of the shelves with readers pouring into the store in multitudes to pick up their favourite reads. The bookstore is know for housing all the books from the sessions at the festival and more, for the ease of readers to make a quick purchase of their favourite author’s book, right in time for the author book signing! Be it children, school students, teenagers or adults, the huge excitement for physical books over e-books can be seen at the bookstore.

4. Art, Culture – Memories Galore!

In addition to being a platform for conversations related to literature and books, the Festival also gives the opportunity to its visitors to experience various forms of art and music. From fascinating art installations to beautiful backdrops for the perfect Instagram shot- there is something for everyone. Dance and music performances make the Festival even livelier. For shopping enthusiasts, the annual Festival Bazaar is a must visit as several craftsmen, designers and entrepreneurs display and sell a vast array of hard-to-resist collectible items. Amongst the many things to be bought are embroidered shawls, exquisite minakari jewellery, funky stationery, edgy accessories, spiffy footwear, and exciting home décor.

5. Morning Music

For those passionate about music, the Festival begins each day with the calming strains of Morning Music. The stage will be graced by acclaimed artists such as BC Manjunath, an exponent of Konnakoland the mrindangam; sitar maestro and recipient of the President’s Award for best instrumentalist, Purbayan Chatterjee; leading Carnatic Veena-player, Saraswati Rajagopalan, and Supriya Nagarajan, a renowned Carnatic vocalist and founder of ‘Manasamitra’.

6. Heritage Evenings

The Festival will also host a power-packed Heritage Evening at an iconic and historic venue in Jaipur. Supported by Rajasthan Tourism, this majestic evening at Amer Fort will feature a mesmerising performance by Pandit Rajendra Gangani, one of the leading practitioners of the Jaipur Gharana of Kathak. He will pay tribute to the age-old classical dance form, along with an ensemble of Kathak dancers. Les Souffleurs or The Whisperers, an artistic group created by Olivier Comte, will enthrall audiences with a unique production where they whisper poetic secrets into each other’s ears, using a hollow cane. To end the evening on a musical note, world-renowned sitarist Shubhendra Rao will present ‘East Marries West—A Legacy’ as a celebration of his Guru, the sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar’s 100th birth anniversary. He will be joined by his wife, Saskia Rao-de Haas, who is hailed as a pioneer for introducing the ‘Indian cello’ to classical Indian music.

7. iWrite at Jaipur BookMark

For all aspiring authors and poets with multiple drafts scribbled behind every notebook and diaries filled with words that you hope will one day be read by the world- ‘iWrite’ by Jaipur BookMark is the perfect platform. After a very successful first edition last year, iWrite is back to inspire literary aspirants. Shortlisted participants get a platform to share their work and receive constructive guidance from international publishers, literary agents, translators and other industry experts in a pitching session at Jaipur during JBM.

8. The Delegate Experience

While the Festival is open to all, specially-curated Delegate packages guarantee an experience to remember. Delegate-only lunches serve as an opportunity to meet and mingle with like-minded literary enthusiasts and make new connections. The well-stocked Delegate Lounge provides a luxurious reprieve and priority seating on special occasions ensures a close-up view of the Festival. The Delegate package also includes an invitation to attend the beautiful Heritage Evening at Amer Fort, and a tote to take home. These Delegate Packages range from INR 6,300 per day to INR 23,800 for five days.

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