18th JLF edition announced from January 30 to Feb 3 in Jaipur
Jaipur, Jan 21 (IANS) The 18th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) will be held from January 30 to February 3 at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur, offering a meticulously curated program celebrates literature, culture, and global dialogue.
At a press conference, Teamwork Arts, the Festival’s producer, unveiled highlights for this year’s event. Among the notable features is the Kanhaiya Lal Sethia Award for poetry, which will honour acclaimed Hindi poet Badri Narayan for his significant contributions to literature.
A recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2022 for his collection Tumdi ke Shabd, Badri Narayan is renowned for his evocative poetry blending folk imagery with profound sociological insight.
The Festival will explore pressing global narratives, with sessions delving into geopolitics, war, climate change, and the arts, alongside discussions on music, cinema, sports, and more.
The event will bring together over 600 speakers, including Nobel laureates, Booker Prize winners, and luminaries across disciplines. Inclusivity remains a core focus, with Sign Language Interpretation Sessions facilitated in collaboration with Nupur Sansthan.
Additionally, the Jaipur BookMark (JBM), South Asia’s premier publishing conclave, marks its 12th edition, spotlighting translation, innovation in storytelling, and the role of AI in publishing.
This year’s speakers include Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, Anita Anand, Geetanjali Shree, Kailash Satyarthi, Miriam Margolyes, Javed Akhtar, Sunil Amrith, and many more.
The festival continues to be a melting pot of ideas, featuring celebrated writers, thinkers, and cultural icons from across the globe.
Festival Co-Director and historian William Dalrymple remarked, “The Jaipur Literature Festival serves as a global platform where the most influential voices come together to inspire and exchange ideas. It bridges cultural and intellectual divides, fostering collaboration in an interconnected yet divided world.”
Writer and Co-Director Namita Gokhale added: “The festival draws inspiration from Jaipur’s living heritage and celebrates the traditions and voices of this vibrant city. It’s a space where cultures converge, ideas flourish, and the world reimagines itself.”
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, emphasised the Festival’s success as a “celebration of ideas and stories,” crediting the city of Jaipur and its citizens for their enduring support.
The Clarks Group of Hotels continues as a host, with Managing Director Apurv Kumar hailing the Festival as a symbol of Jaipur’s cultural legacy and inclusivity.
Beyond its literary sessions, the Festival will feature The Jaipur BookMark: A business hub for the publishing world, Jaipur Music Stage which will have live performances by global artists, Festival Bazaar: Handcrafted merchandise and artisanal products and Food Stalls and Networking Events: A taste of Rajasthan's culinary heritage and vibrant social gatherings.
--IANS
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