Jaipur Literature Festival Unveils Key Themes & Speakers for 2024 Edition

Kai Bird, Gulzar, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and Tarun Tahiliani are among the key speakers.

(Photo: The Quint)

With the 17th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival set to take place from 1-5 February 2024, at Hotel Clarks Amer in Rajasthan's Pink City, Teamwork Arts, the festival's producers, have announced the key themes for the latest edition.

The literature festival will revolve around "art and culture" in 2024. Paying homage to India's foremost modern artist, the festival is set to host a session on Raja Ravi Varma's "artistic genius" with Ganesh V Shivaswamy, a lawyer who has delved deep into Varma's work.

Another discussion is set to be held around Leonardo da Vinci, not just as a painter but as an inventor and scientist too. Museum curator and art historian Luke Syson will be looking at how "the complexity of his (da Vinci's) creativity and personality that have sometimes almost overshadowed the importance of his aims and techniques as a painter."

But this year, Jaipur Literature Festival is going beyond the primary definitions of art too.

Key Speakers & Artists

It's also features fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani, who is bringing his book – Journey to India Modern, to the festival. The designer will be sharing insights into his explorations in fashion around the globe and "his efforts to merge stories across time and space."

Actor-writer Kelly Dorji will also be in conversation with writer Andrew Quintman about the Tibetan spiritual poet – Milarepa and the many ways stories shape our artistic, ritual, and lived dimensions.

Cultural commentator Mary Beard will delve into ancient imperial imagery, how Roman art has shaped the Western world’s understanding of power, and changing identities, as she brings her book Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern to the festival.

What to Look Out For

Film critic Shubhra Gupta will be in conversation with theatre actor Sutapa Sikdar and filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj about her book Irrfan: A Life in Movies. Gupta's biography of the celebrated actor includes conversations from people in the film industry about their memories and time with Irrfan.

Many biographies have made their way to Jaipur Literature Festival's next edition. Sharmistha Mukherjee will share many stories and anecdotes about former President Pranab Mukherjee, as she brings her biography Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers to the literary stage.

For Oppenheimer fans, there's something more to look forward to. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Kai Bird, who co-wrote American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer, will delve into his writing life and literary journey at the festival.

Poetry, Prose & More

Writer and translator Rakhshanda Jalil and poet and lyricist Gulzar will delve into Jalil's book Baal O-Par, a definitive collection of the latter's poetry.

The key themes and speakers were announced at a celebratory evening hosted by Teamwork Arts at The Quorum in Mumbai, where author Amish was also in conversation with Sanjoy K Roy, the festival's producer, about the significant role that myth plays as a mediator of memory.

Writer William Dalrymple said:

"Every year we try and raise the bar at the Jaipur Literature Festival, but 2024 will be our finest festival yet. It is going to be utterly extraordinary and should on no account be missed!"