In its digital avatar now, the Jaipur Literature Festival has featured 416 speakers over 248 sessions. Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts the producer of JLF, leads us to the audience responses. “We are delighted with the phenomenal response we have received on the very first day of our first-ever virtual edition of JLF. With the brand-new virtual platform, we tried to bring in the essence of the main on-ground festival at our customary home, Diggi Palace in Jaipur.” The list of speakers comprise Bill Gates, Nobel Laureates Joseph Stiglitz & Malala Yousafzai, Man Booker winner Douglas Stuart, Pulitzer awardee Jeffrey Gettleman, Priyanka Chopra, Noam Chomsky, Nandita Das, Marina Claire Wheeler, and more. Here’s culling out a few must-catch events of this edition:
GHALIB: A WILDERNESS AT MY DOORSTEP
Mehr Farooqi in conversation with Rana Safvi In this session, Mehr Farooqi’s newly launched work, a biography, Ghalib: A Wilderness At My Doorstep, will be talked about. The book curiously takes the reader on the making of the artist in times of insidious impact of European colonialism, particularly with regards to censorship, distribution and consumption of the literature produced in his turbulent time while looking at the childhood of the legendary poet. ON: February 21, 11:00am-11:45am
WORD, INSPIRATION AND STORY: THE JOURNEY OF KEVIN KWAN
Kevin Kwan in conversation with Shunali Khullar Shroff Drawing from his latest book, Sex and Vanity, Kwan has opened up on extravagant travel, love, and deceit, subtly eluding to race and identity. In his session, he will introduce us to the ultra-rich who seek happiness in excess, Asian classism and snobbery. ON: Feb 24, 12:30pm- 01:15pm
SMELLOSOPHY: THE MIND AND BODY CONNECT AS
Barwich in conversation with Ambarish Satwik In this session by The Morning Standard/Sunday Standard, Barwich in her book Smellosophy: What the Nose Tells the Mind, examines the mysteries of olfaction. She will speak to Satwik, a vascular surgeon and author of the Perineum: Nether Parts of the Empire. ON: Feb 23, 2:30pm-3:15pm
WHY LEADERS LIE?
John J. Mearsheimer in conversation with Vishnu Som Political scientist John Mearsheimer will break down the insidious and elaborate deceptions of world leaders, with many references to news anchor and journalist Vishnu Som. There is a constructive analysis of logic, motivation, and justification behind their behaviour. ON: February 22, 2:30pm-3:15 pm
FROM STREETS TO TWEETS: THE ERA OF DIGITAL ACTIVISM
Avijit Michael, Anshul Tewari and Nida Hasan in conversation with Abhinandan Sekhri This session talks about the positive power of digital activism in the time of the global pandemic and mounting political crises across the world. Sub-themes such as the rise of new movements along with effectiveness of online petitions will be discussed here. ON: Feb 25, 12:30pm-1:15pm
NO COUNTRY FOR FARMERS
Kota Neelima, Dushyant Dave and Surjit Bhalla in conversation with Sanket Upadhyay The speakers will discuss a range of paradoxes of policy and complex issues involved in bringing about much-needed reforms, pertaining to farmers. The discourse will also include climate change as one of the factors in uncertainties faced by the farmers. ON: Feb 26, 7:00pm-7:45pm
ON JAHANGIR’S PAINTINGS
Mehreen Chida-Razvi in conversation with BN Goswamy The session will look at Emperor Jahangir’s reign, marked by cultural, political and economic interactions between the Indian subcontinent and the West. European and Christian imagery in Mughal art will be discussed with his artistic and cultural patronage. ON: Feb 27, 03:00pm-03:45pm