On Monday, at the Delhi Curtain Raiser The Jaipur Literature Festival 2022 programme was revealed.  The programme is vast and kaleidoscopic, full of themes ranging from the arts, biographies, business & economics, climate change, current affairs, food, poetry, science & technology, Artificial Intelligence, and the writing process, etc. The programme is all set to take place between 28th January to 1st February 2022 on-ground in Jaipur and until February 6th online, the 10-day-long annual literature extravaganza will return within a hybrid avatar.

The Delhi Curtain Raiser, hosted by the producer Teamwork Arts at The Leela Palace saw a breathtaking performance by the Anirudh Varma Collective along with Rajasthani bagpiper Shyopat Julia welcoming the audience with his melodious music.

This year, the Festival will be hosting over 250 speakers, writers, thinkers, politicians, journalists and popular cultural icons from across a vast array of nationalities, representing 21 Indian and international languages as well as major awards 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.

The 2021 Booker Prize winning author Damon Galgut will discuss his writing style, process, inspirations, and the essence of his latest work The Promise. Galgut is a master of the knot, the stubborn rope which chafes and binds people to places, politics, prophets and the past.

Indian-American businesswoman and former CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi’s memoir, My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future, follows her journey of grit and determination as she broke through several glass ceilings and the barriers of gender and race to become a global business leader.

British writer and translator Deborah Smith, in conversation with translator Arunava Sinha, will discuss the many, often intangible, tasks of the translator comprising integrity, interpretation, expression and the singular objective of storytelling.

In conversation with Seema Goswami, celebrated Indian actress Neena Gupta will discuss the backstories behind the glamorous facade, the ups and downs, the triumphs and heartbreaks that she has manoeuvred in her extraordinary life. In Gupta’s candid autobiography, Sach Kahun Toh, she chronicles her extraordinary journey, both personal and professional, deconstructing Bollywood to tell her version of the realities behind the star-studded screen.

Bringing a historical flavour to the programme, acclaimed writer and historian Manu S. Pillai and writer and politician Dr. Shashi Tharoor will get into a conversation with author Ira Mukhoty.

The Festival will feature another interesting conversation between leading Indian art historian and recipient of the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, BN Goswamy and historian, author and with Festival Co-Director William Dalrymple.

Viruses exist in the marginal space between the realm of the living and non-living. Acclaimed writer and biochemist Pranay Lal brings this marginal life form to the forefront and gives us fascinating insights into the world of viruses in his book Invisible Empire.

The audience will also witness a session which looks at the relations between India and Bangladesh and examines the socio-political, cultural and economic way forward to fuel and support the rich diversity of the two neighbouring countries, and commemorating 50 years of Bangladesh’s Liberation War.

The Festival will also explore the artistic side of literature with some sessions concentrated on art, culture, music, poetry etc. at a dedicated venue for sessions on the arts.

Hon’ble Tourism Minister of Rajasthan, Vishvendra Singh said, “I am delighted that the Jaipur Literature Festival is returning on-ground in the Pink City. I believe that the Festival truly provides an exceptional platform for both Indian and global authors and thought leaders to engage and strengthen Our literary heritage and culture. I look forward to warmly welcoming all Authors, Speakers, Artists, Musicians and Visitors to Jaipur and the State of Rajasthan for the Festival in January 2022.”

Namita Gokhale, writer, publisher, and Co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “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.”

William Dalrymple, writer, historian and Co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “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…. It’s going to be most extraordinary few days and a Jaipur Literature Festival vintage year that must not on any account not be missed.”

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, which produces the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “Jaipur Literature Festival has always been a unique platform, celebrating literature and knowledge from across India and the world in the most inclusive way. 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.”

The Festival will also be launching 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.