By Hanan Zaffar
Jaipur – 12th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival commenced in the Pink city here. The festival is set to host authors, novelists, essayists, actors, politicians, musicians, poets, and journalists from India and abroad.
The Literature Festival often been described as the ‘greatest literary show on earth’ has hosted nearly 2000 speakers and welcomed over a million booklovers over the past decade, evolving into a global literary phenomenon.
The festival is to be held at its customary home the Diggi Palace Hotel, based in the heart of the city.
This year Jaipur Literature Festival expects to host over 500 literary minds from all over the world who will gather in a celebration of literature, the written word, books and art “Festival intends to champion ‘literary and artistic traditions and democratic discourse, it encourages freedom of thought through a range of voices from India and abroad engaged in informed and enlightened dialogue and promotes above all a love for literature.” said one organiser of the event.”
There are a host of activities to indulge in during the Festival including the Jaipur Music Stage, Heritage Evenings at the Jawahar Kala Kendra and Amber Fort, a host of new book launches, book signings with authors after sessions, the Festival Bazaar, delectable food and beverage options and beautiful displays of art at the Festival venue. It brings together an amalgamation of colourful picturesque frames for one and all. From a pleasant stroll embracing the city’s rich heritage to a wide array of appetizing food, the Festival sets literary conversation in the backdrop of vibrant art,culture, music and built heritage.
Literary greats such as Colson Whitehead, the author of 9 fiction and non-fiction books, including the Pulitzer Prize winning ‘The Underground Railroad’ is set to attend the event.
The programme for the 2019 edition of the Festival is vast and kaleidoscopic, with themesranging from fiction war, espionage, intelligence, politics, environment and climate change,gender issues, management entrepreneurship, science and technology, along with broader areas such as fiction, adapting screenplays, mythology, crime, history, cinema, art, activism and the psychological aftermath of migration,” reads a press release of the event.