What to Expect at Jaipur Literature Festival 2015

It’s almost that time of the year when the most talked about literature fest in India; the Jaipur Lit Fest (JLF) is back! A book lover’s delight, the Jaipur Literature Festival 2015 is to connect with writers you’ve read and admired over the years at close quarters. After having stirred up controversies with writers like Salman Rushdie and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, the JLF is known to make news every year.

Through The Pages Of Literature

The venue of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2015, the grand Diggi Palace Hotel transforms into a carnival of writers, journalists, publishers, celebrities and socialites under the same roof.

Some popular names to look out for this year include; Chetan Bhagat, Javed Akthar, Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame), Kamila Shamsie, Christina Lamb, Neel Mukherjee (Booker Prize nominee), Paul Theroux, William Pinch and Bettany Hughes among a host of other acclaimed writers.

The Jaipur Literature Festival 2015 boasts of some of the finest Indian and international writers to ever grace the festival. Look out as this year the festival promises to be an eclectic gathering of some of the finest minds from across the world.

Apart from the stimulating discussions and talks, the Jaipur Literature Festival is also a great place to spot celebrities. Popular Bollywood personalities like Kabir Bedi, Javed Akhtar, Shekhar Kapoor, Prasoon Joshi, Gulzar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Shabana Azmi are regular at the fest. So get those cameras ready and who knows which celebrity you get clicked with!

Where: Diggi Palace Hotel, Diggi House, Shivaji Marg, C Scheme Jaipur 302004

When: 21-25 January 2015 (9:30 am to 5 pm)

Entry: Free

Let’s Get The Music Started

After the sun has set, it’s time for the writers to take a break and chill while the musicians take over the stage to wow the audience. The music fest of the Jaipur Literature Festival is a much looked forward to event and takes places at Clarks Amer Hotel lawns (15 minutes away from Diggi Palace).

Some of the popular Indian and international artists who’ve entertained crowds at the Jaipur Literature Festival have been The Jaipur Kawa Brass Band, popular Rajathani folk artists Kutle Khan and Karsh Kale, fusion rock bands like Advaita, Rock Veda and Medival Punditz. The music festival has also been host to Grammy award winning band Tinariwen from Northern Mali in Africa.

Music performances to look forward to during the Jaipur Literature Festival 2015 include the Rasa Duende, a music dance and video collaboration between Indian and Spanish artists. Performances to look forward to include those by Indian violinist Sharat Chandra Srivastava and Spanish musicians Jose Salinas and Amir John. Also part of the performance is Spanish Dancer and choreographer Monica De La Fuente.

Where: Hotel Clarks Amer, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur

​When: 21-25 January 2015 (7:30 pm to 10 pm)

Entry: Rs. 300 per person

Walk The Walk

The best way to get to know a city is by walking. Vedic Walks, a tour company will be offering eight walking tours between the dates of the festival. The best part, festival attendees get a whopping 50% discount on the tours! You can choose between a morning, or evening walking tour which helps you get acquainted with local artisans of Jaipur.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it! So what are you waiting for? Book your flight tickets and hotel in Jaipur and let the fun begin.

For more information on the Jaipur Literature Festival 2015 please visit http://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/

Video Credit: Ragini Mehra