8th Jaipur Literature Festival Begins Today - Here is Details of Complete Programs

The eighth edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival is set to open on Wednesday, bringing a five-day banquet of literary ideas to the Pink City.

The event, which is now the world’s largest free literary festival, will see a galaxy of literary and musical stars come together for a vibrant celebration of creative expression.

Each year the festival uses literature and culture as a catalyst for debate. The event is often seen as an agenda-setter on key issues from the global economic crisis to the rise of e-books, the current state of politics in the West Asia to the increasing importance of Indian language publishing.

This year the Festival will look at gender equity in India in a series titled “Women Uninterrupted,” supported by the UN to mark the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Conference on Women.

There will also be sessions on the exile and identity of the indigenous people of Australia, the road ahead for the subcontinent as well as conversations on the contemporary status of Sanskrit and the dualistic rise of China and India.

This year, the Festival will expand beyond the four walls of Diggi Palace and will hold over 300 events in 10 venues. Bollywood actor Naseeru-ddin Shah will recite the poetry of Manto on January 21  at Amber Fort.

Other highlights over the five-day event include Nobel Laureate V.S. Naipaul, Man Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton, renowned travel writer Paul Theroux, legends of the silver screen Waheeda Rehman, Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi as well as leading novelists Sarah Waters, Kamila Shamsie, Amit Chaudhuri and Eimear McBride.

This year the Festival will see the announcement of three prizes, including the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. (Source: deccanchronicle)

ARE YOU READY? LETS CHECK DETAILS: 

It's opening day at the 2015 ‪#‎ZEEJLF‬! (ZEE is presenting this Year JLF)

Among our many speakers today, you'll find Vijay Seshadri, Javed Akhtar, Eleanor Catton, Amit Chaudhuri and Paul Tehroux.

FAIZ & KAIFI - A POETIC LEGACY

Salima Hashmi, daughter of the iconic Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Shabana Azmi, daughter of the much beloved Indian Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi, speak of the poetic legacies bequeathed on them by their parents. 

1800-1900, 21 Jan at British Airways Baithak

Please note: This session is open to 'delegates' only

OPENING KEYNOTE: THE POETIC IMAGINATION

Hear from critically-acclaimed poets Vijay Seshadri, Ashok Vajpeyi & Arvind Krishna 

Mehrotra explore the sources and inspirations of the poetic imagination

1000-1100, 21 Jan at Rajnigandha Front Lawns

THE LAST WORD

Hanif Kureishi’s varied career as a screenwriter, filmmaker and novelist has seen him hailed as one of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945″. Join him in conversation with Chandrahas Choudhury.

1530-1630, 21 Jan at Charbagh

A HOUSE FOR MR BISWAS

Celebrate 50 years of V. S. Naipaul's masterpiece with the author himself, in conversation with Hanif Kureishi, Amit Chaudhuri, Paul Theroux & Farrukh Dhondy.

1415-1515, 21 Jan at Rajnigandha Front Lawns

TAARE ZAMEEN PAR....

Don't miss ad-man & lyricist Prasoon Joshi, and poet Yatindra Mishra explore India's popular poetry, music, screenplays, advertising, Bollywood and the secret life of words! 

1415-1515, 21 Jan at Charbagh

Watch as Naseeruddin Shah & Girish Karnad share the stage, exploring the art of acting. 

1530-1630 hrs, 21 Jan at Rajnigandha Front Lawns

A Novelist's Affair With nonfiction...

Listen in as travel writers Paul Theroux & Monisha Rajesh talk about their art. 

1700-1800 hrs, 21 Jan at Rajnigandha Front Lawns

Explore the lyrical & colourful world of Urdu, Hindi & Hindustani film music with legendary lyricist & poet Javed Akhtar

1115-1215 hrs, 21 Jan at Charbagh

MUJHE JEENE DO: CONVERSATIONS WITH WAHEEDA REHMAN 

Join our tribute to the enduringly beautiful & incredibly gifted actor Waheeda Rehman, in conversation with her biographer & film historian Nasreen Munni Kabir, and writer & mythologst Arshia Sattar. 

1230-1330, 22 Jan at Rajnigandha Front Lawn

THE LIBRARY AT NIGHT

Alberto Manguel discusses a life filled with books, literature & reading with Chandrahas Chaudhury. 

1230-1330, 22 Jan at Charbagh

A PASSAGE TO AMERICA

2014 Pulitzer Prize winning poet Vijay Seshadri speaks with Bangladeshi poet Sadaf Saaz on the immigrant experience, and writing that straddles two worlds. #ZEEJLF

1000-1100, 22 Jan at Rajnigandha Front Lawns

HAMLET'S DILEMMA 

From Macbeth to Othello, and now Hamlet, Vishal Bhardwaj has successfully adapted some of Shakespeare's most loved plays for Indian cinema audiences. 

Hear the director explore his characters and their contexts along with Tim Supple, Basharat Peer and Jerry Brotton. 

1700-1800, 22 Jan at Charbagh

Selfie: The Art of The Memoir

Listen in as writers Anchee Min, Mark Gevisser, Brigid Keenan, Joanna Rrakoff & Basharat Peer debate the art of writing about oneself.

1000-1100, 23 Jan, Charbagh

Find out how a billion entrepreneurs are shaping India & China's future with economic strategist Tarun Khanna and business journalist & columnist Rahul Jacob

1700-1800 hrs, 23 Jan at Charbagh

BLACK SWAN: THE IMPACT OF THE HIGHLY IMPROBABLE

What can we learn from chance? How do you prepare for highly improbable but profoundly impactful events? 

Hear from Nassim Nicholas Taleb as he explores his ground-breaking book at #ZEEJLF

1000-1100 hrs, 24 Jan, Rajnigandha Front Lawns

THE SIMPSONS AND THEIR MATHEMATICAL SECRETS

Science writer Simon Singh unravels one of pop-culture's greatest secrets hidden in plain sight: How the gifted writers of 'The Simpsons' & its sister show 'Futurama' hid mathematical secrets throughout the shows. 

1700-1800, 24 Jan at Charbagh

THE WRITER AND THE WORLD

Fifty years after the publication of his classic 'A House for Mr Biswas', VS Naipaul looks back on his extraordinary with Farrukh Dhondy. 

1415-1515, 24 Jan at Rajnigandha Front Lawns

ALL THAT JAZZ...

Listen in as the veteran jazz singer Joe Alvares & Mumbai's resident jazz historian & journalist Naresh Fernandes delve into the nuances of this eclectic genre of music.

1530-1630, 25 Jan at Rajnigandha Front Lawns

LITERATURE IN CINEMA

Catch a series of special panels featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Prasoon Joshi, Waheeda Rehman, Vishal Bhardwaj & many more

A Weekend for traditional music lovers...

If you love Indian folk music, you absolutely cannot miss our weekend performances by Malini Awasthi & Rashmi Agarwal

Catch Transglobal Underground & Sain Zahoor, both BBC World Music Award winners, performing live on the festival Music Stage

Content & Pictures Courtesy: ZEEJLF‬!