Jaipur Literature Festival 2022 to be held from January 28 to February 6 in a hybrid avatar

The countdown for the 2022 Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), which is scheduled to take place in a hybrid avatar— between January 28 - February 1, 2022 on-ground in Jaipur and until February 6th online—began with a preview event in Delhi which saw a memorable performance by the Anirudh Varma Collective along with Rajasthani bagpiper Shyopat Julia.

The 10-day-long annual literature extravaganza will host over 250 speakers, writers, thinkers, politicians, journalists and popular cultural icons from across a vast array of nationalities, representing 21 Indian and international languages, including major award winners such as the Nobel, the Booker Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the Sahitya Akademi, the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Shri, the DSC Prize for Literature, the JCB Prize for Literature and many more.

Produced by Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director at Teamwork Arts, JLF 2022 will also launch some most-awaited books namely ‘Daaera and Dhanak: Companion volumes of Nazms’ by Kaifi Azmi and Jan Nisar Akhtar, edited by Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi; ‘Soumitra Chatterjee: A Film Maker Remembers’ by Suman Ghosh; ‘CHRYSALIS’ by Safir Anand.

Among the major highlights are the sessions by Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021 and is celebrated as one of Africa’s greatest living writers, Abhijit V Banerjee, who will be in conversation artist and illustrator Cheyenne Olivier, and Daniel Kahneman, who will be in conversation at the session titled ‘Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment,’ alongside professor Olivier Sibony and legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein about how and why humans are so susceptible to noise in judgment and what we can do about it.

Also, the 2021 Booker Prize winning author Damon Galgut will discuss his writing style, process, inspirations, and the essence of his latest work ‘The Promise,’ which revolves around the play of power in relationships with self, society and the state against the backdrop of post-Apartheid South Africa.

Booker Prize-winning author DBC Pierre, whose recent novel, ‘Meanwhile in Dopamine City,’ defies form and the limits of literary possibility, will discuss experimental fiction and the plea for heart and soul in robotic times at the session. British writer and translator Deborah Smith will be in conversation with translator Arunava Sinha. Former CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi will be in conversation with author Aparna Piramal Raje.

Celebrated Indian actress Neena Gupta will be in conversation with Seema Goswami. At another session Kim Stanley Robinson, who is considered as one of the greatest science-fiction authors, will be in conversation with journalist and author Raghu Karnad. Also, noted author Ira Mukhoty will be in conversation with acclaimed writer and historian Manu S. Pillai. Eminent Bangladeshi journalist Mahfuz Anam will be in conversation with the author of The Bengalis: A Portrait of a Community and The Eastern Gate, Sudeep Chakravarti.

The 2022 Jaipur Literature Festival will also explore the artistic side of literature with some sessions concentrated on art, culture, music, poetry etc. Arundhathi Subramaniam will discuss the confluence of literature, culture and yoga, the ultimate practice and meeting-place for individual consciousness and the universe. Tishani Doshi will discuss her extraordinary book of poems. In the session title ‘The Great Mughals and the Moment of Portraiture’ independent art historian Ursula Weekes will be in conversation with author and historian Yashaswini Chandra. Remo Fernandes will be conversation with Sanjoy K Roy. Remo will discuss his life in pursuit of his greatest loves: music, art, writing and his homeland, Goa. Also, Roy will be in another conversation with theatre personality Dolly Thakore, author and screenwriter Arghya Lahiri and feminist, publisher and author, Ritu Menon. The discussion will revolve around the essence of theatre, its magic, and the pervading misogyny.

Speaking at the Delhi preview, Sanjoy K Roy said, “This year’s programme reflects the turmoil, tragedy, and immense resilience that human beings have displayed in the face of great challenges. As we embark on a new year, we bring to you celebrated thought leaders of the world, who try and make sense of our complex times.”

He also touched upon the festival’s legacy as a unique platform, celebrating literature and knowledge from across India and the world in the most inclusive way. Noted writer, historian and the co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, William Dalrymple, who couldn’t attend the event in person, shared his thoughts through a video message. While highlighting the stellar lineup of writers scheduled to grace the 2022 JLF, he asserted, “Every year we bring to world's greatest writers of fiction and non-fiction to Jaipur, but never have we had a line-up quite as extraordinary as this.” Namita Gokhale, writer, publisher, and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, summed up, “My co-director William Dalrymple, producer Sanjoy K Roy, and our committed colleagues at Teamwork, have crafted a programme, both on-ground and virtual, that conjures the elusive spirit of our transforming times, and gives us healing and resilience.”