The Jaipur Literature Festival 2024, celebrating its 17th year, will unite a diverse global community of writers, thinkers, and speakers to explore a range of literary themes and thought-provoking ideas. Teamwork Arts, the producer of the iconic Festival, has announced that the 17th edition will take place from 1 to 5 February 2024, at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur.
As in the previous years, the Festival will celebrate linguistic diversity, featuring a broad spectrum of languages. The program will host sessions that focus on literary works in languages such as Assamese, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, and many more.
The upcoming edition of the Festival celebrates how ‘Stories Unite Us,’ exploring the transformative power of literature, how it reflects society, and brings us together. Jaipur Literature Festival remains committed to its core values: to serve as a democratic, non-aligned platform that ensures inclusivity and freedom of speech through diverse conversations across four venues, and with over 300 speakers.
Debra DiamondThe first list of 25 speakers released today includes Indian author, columnist, screenwriter, television personality, cartoonist and motivational speaker Anand Neelakantan; award-winning British journalist and the author of four books, including Superior: The Return of Race Science, Angela Saini; award-winning Assamese author and journalist Anuradha Sarma Pujari; critically acclaimed Tamil and Malayalam language writer and literary critic B. Jeyamohan; British reviewer, columnist and author of Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle, Ben MaMacintyre.
Other names include leading Indian art historian, academic and author B.N. Goswamy; award-winning author and academic Brian A. Catlos; award-winning playwright, author & Broadway actress Catherine Ann Jones; and award-winning Australian historian, author, broadcaster and public commentator Clare Wright; acclaimed travel writer and novelist Colin Thubron.
The list also includes the Elizabeth Moynihan Curator of South Asian and Southeast Asian Art at the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Debra Diamond; debut novelist of Quarterlife, Devika Rege; best-selling American author of The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death, Jeff Goodell; prize-winning and bestselling broadcaster, curator and author Jerry Brotton; Kashmir-born and New York-based writer and translator of For Now, It Is Night, Kalpana Raina; Classicist and writer of the prize-winning books Pompeii, SPQR, and Women & Power, Mary Beard; acclaimed Hindi novelist and writer of the famous books Chittacobra, Kathgulab, and the Sahitya Akademi award-winning Miljul Mann, Mridula Garg; Co-founder and Co-CEO of Archie Comics Publications, Nancy Silberkleit; award-winning author of three novels Nilanjana S. Roy; award-winning journalist and author of the international bestsellers Say Nothing, Empire of Pain, and Rogues, Patrick Radden Keefe; Indian journalist and novelist Raj Kamal Jha; Former DG, CSIR & President, Indian National Science Academy, National Innovation Foundation and recipient of 47 honorary doctorates, R.A. Mashelkar; author of The Case for Nature, Siddarth Shrikanth; former Chief Justice of Orissa High Court and Judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court and Delhi High Court S. Muralidhar; and award-winning historian, translator and broadcaster Tom Holland.
Namita Gokhale, writer, publisher, and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “The 2024 edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival will bring our living library of ideas, books, and writers into the hearts and minds of book lovers from around the world. Fiction and faction, poetry and music, debates and discussions await us, with a brilliant and diverse list of speakers and performers. A vintage year, with classic themes and stimulating contemporary interpretations. “
Sanjoy K. Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts, which produces the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “The 17th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival will focus on Indian literature and the celebration of diverse voices. Distinguished speakers include Mridula Garg, a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award; Anuradha Sarma Pujari, a prominent Assamese author; B. Jeyamohan, a celebrated writer in Tamil and Malayalam; and acclaimed writers Anand Neelakantan and Kalpana Raina. International writers such as the award-winning historian Mary Beard, the acclaimed travel writer Colin Thubron, and translator Tom Holland will also be at the Festival.”
The Festival will include its B2B arm, Jaipur BookMark (JBM), now in its 10th edition. JBM stands out as the global hub where literary creativity meets industry innovation, fostering unparalleled networking and deal-making opportunities for publishers, authors, and literary enthusiasts alike. The Jaipur Literature Festival will also host its flagship heritage evening, and the Jaipur Music Stage, which runs parallel to the Festival.
Registration and access to the festival will be available from Rs 200 per day. Attendees can also experience the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’ as a Friend of the Festival and avail the best of Jaipur hospitality and festival offerings that will make one feel special at every point.
