Jaipur Lit Fest 2016: 5 Up-and-Coming Authors to Watch Out For

Once again, the Jaipur Literature Festival is upon us. Students, families and book aficionados will be skiving off work and college from 21^st till 25^th January to watch over a hundred speakers take the dais. This year’s Lit Fest (or JLF, as it’s popularly known) promises to be better than ever, thanks to luminaries like Thomas Piketty, Margaret Atwood and Stephen Fry gracing the discussion panels, along with veterans such as William Dalrymple and Ruskin Bond. (Don’t miss out these 8 Speakers at JLF.)

But if you’re on the lookout for up-and-coming talent, who are sure to provide a fresh zing to the JLF this time around, here are the 5 authors you should watch out for:

Sanil  Sachar

23-year-old Sanil Sachar from Delhi already has a book under his belt: Summer Promises and Other Poems, published in 2013. After graduating in Sport Business Management from Sheffield Hallam University, he worked in the corporate sector before finally deciding to take up writing full time, resulting in his second book, The Dark Side of Light. Sanil is also a playwright and a director, apart from being an avid footballer. His new book, out for preorder, promises to take his readers on a unique literary journey that reflects life’s complexities by stitching together vignettes of romance, comedy, murder, mystery alike in a collection of 25 short stories and 48 poems. His writing brings together different literary forms to create a vivid experience that fuses fiction with reality.

Watch out for his session at the JLF, where he will be in conversation with Puneeta Roy on the tricks of the trade: how to get writing, beat the dreaded writer's block, and get published, and how to focus on your passion and follow it: advice that’s indispensable for all aspiring writers! You can also connect with Sanil at www.facebook.com/sanilsachar1, via Twitter @SanilSachar, or email at sacharsanil@gmail.com.

One Book to Read before JLF: Summer Promises and Other Poems

Sulaiman Addonia

Sulaiman Addonia has some heart-wrenching stories to tell, based on personal experience. Born in Eritrea, Sulaiman spent his childhood in a refugee camp in Sudan in the wake of the Om Hajar massacre of 1976. Later, he moved to Saudi Arabia in his early teens, and wound up in London in 1990. His first novel, The Consequences of Love, was widely acclaimed – being shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize – and went on to be translated in more than 20 languages.

One Book to Read before JLF: The Consequences of Love

Aleksandar Hemon

A Bosnian-American writer who’s also a critic and an essayist, Aleksandar Hemon was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship (2003) and a ‘Genius Grant’ from the MacArthur Foundation (2004). Author of works such as The Question of Bruno, The Lazarus Project, Nowhere Man, and a collection of short stories in Love and Obstacles¸ Hemon has recently come out with The Making of Zombie Wars.

One Book to Read before JLF: The Making of Zombie Wars

Chandrahas Choudhary

Writer-editor Chandrahas Choudhary’s first novel Arzee the Dwarf went through publications in several country, and translations in Spanish and German. It also has the distinction of being selected by World Literature Today as one of ’60 Essential Works of Modern Indian Literature in English’, along with being shortlisted for the Commonwealth First Book Award. Chandrahas Choudhary is all set to unveil his next endeavour, Clouds, this year.

One Book to Read before JLF: Arzee the Dwarf

Alvin Pang

Singapore-based Alvin Pang is a poet, writer and editor whose works have appeared in the Oxford Companion to Modern Poetry in English. His poems have been translated in over fifteen languages and featured in publications and festivals across the world. Recent works by Pang include When the Barbarians Arrive and the anthology UNION: 15 Years of Drunken Boat, 50 Years of Writing From Singapore.

One Book to Read before JLF: When the Barbarians Arrive

So there you have it. That’s your definitive list of fresh talent to watch out for this Jaipur Literature Festival 2016. Hope you have an illuminating experience!

To catch the whole list of speakers and the schedule, go here.

Looking for things to do in Jaipur when you’re not attending the Lit Fest? Here you go. 

Want to spend all your money on books? Here’s how to do Jaipur on a budget.