Why you can’t miss the Jaipur Literature Festival 2022

The Jaipur Literature Festival 2022 is all set to bring its five-day on-ground literary extravaganza to its customary home in Jaipur. Famously known as ‘the greatest literary show on earth’, the Festival is back with its hybrid avatar from 5th-14th March 2022. The 15th edition of the rich programme will feature stellar speakers from India and across the world. The Festival will be organised at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur and will follow COVID-19 safety protocols as per government guidelines.

In the past, the iconic Festival has hosted nearly 5000 speakers and artists and welcomed over a million book-lovers from across India and the globe. Once again, the pink city will be infused with its infectious literary energy and celebrate art, culture, and heritage.

During the festival days, there are endless experiences to imbibe: a number of insightful sessions, food stalls to explore, fascinating music to listen to and a buzzing carnival with a bookstore, and multiple parties hosted on the Festival’s fringes.

Here are some reasons why you should not miss the 15th edition of the Festival.

Speaker Highlights

The Festival will host some of the world’s greatest literary minds and bring them together for several panel discussions and interactions. Various eminent personalities include the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist Jonathan Franzen; 2021 Booker winner Damon Galgut; Australian author and 2003 Booker winner DBC Pierre. Making the list more vibrant, the stellar line-up includes renowned award-winning British poet and author of twelve poetry collections, two books on wildlife and two novels Ruth Padel; Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar recipient Tanuj Solanki; award-winning British-Turkish novelist and the most widely read woman author in Turkey Elif Shafak; American academic and author of the award-winning books Edge of Empire, Liberty’s Exiles and The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World Maya Jasanoff; author of internationally bestselling and award-winning books Underland, The Old Ways, Landmarks, and The Lost Words: A Spell Book (with writer Jackie Morris) – Robert Macfarlane; the author of a range of books that include The Body Adorned, Discourse in Early Buddhist Art, Yogini Cult and Temples, and India: A Story Through 100 Objects, Padma Bhushan awardee Vidya Dehejia; and senior Indian journalist and National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri are also amongst a commendable list of speakers at the Festival for the 2022 edition.

Morning Music

For those passionate about music, the Festival will begin each day with calming lyrical mornings to set the tone for literary musings later. The morning stage will be graced by acclaimed artists such as Hindustani classical vocalist Ujwal Nagar and Smt. Sombala Kumar; Indian classical singer and composer Aastha Goswami; the storytelling collective The Aahvaan Project; and academic and musician Priya Kanungo.

Heritage Evenings

Apart from musical mornings, the much-loved Literary Festival will offer a mesmerising Heritage Evening on 13th March at Ganesh Pol, Amer Fort. The programme will feature a soul-stirring performance by Kalapini Komkali, a classical vocalist and daughter of the legendary Pandit Kumar Gandharva; and leading dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas. Ending the evening on a spectacular note, a fashion show will be presented by the students of ARCH School of Design, Jaipur.

Jaipur Music Stage

The much-awaited musical extravaganza Jaipur Music Stage will be held from 10th-12th March 2022, amidst the Jaipur Literature Festival. The power-packed line-up of performers will feature a diverse group of artistes from all over the Indian subcontinent who will sweep you off your feet and bring back the magic of live music. The Jaipur Music Stage has seen some of the greatest offerings from India and around the world in previous editions, and this year’s Festival will carry on that legacy by exhibiting an array of experienced musicians such as Anirudh Varma Collective, a contemporary Indian classical ensemble led by New Delhi-based pianist, composer and producer Anirudh Varma; Advaita, a leading Indian fusion band that has completed a fourteen year-long musical journey with its eight members; Mooralala Marwada, a famous Sufi folk singer; the Kutle Khan Project, a unique collective of Rajasthani folk musicians highlighting the multi-talented Kutle Khan; Ali Saffudin, a gifted singer-songwriter from Srinagar, Kashmir; and Ankur & The Ghalat Family, a Hindi rock project led by frontman and singer-songwriter Ankur Tewari, along with Gaurav Gupta, Sidd Coutto and Johan Pais.

Jaipur BookMark

The Jaipur BookMark (JBM), the biggest publishing conclave in South Asia, is held parallel to the Jaipur Literature Festival. As a B2B platform, it brings together publishers, literary agents, translation agencies and writers wanting to talk business along with focussed sessions and major industry players from across the world. All set to converge this year with a hybrid on-ground and online platform, it will extend an opportunity for all stakeholders of the book trade and publishing industry to meet and mingle.

Food Stalls & Merchandise

The Festival will also provide its visitors with the opportunity to experience India’s vast artisanal repertoire – The Festival Buzzar will run at Hotel Clarks Amer on all five days from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. A Night Market at the Jaipur Music Stage will also be held from 10th-12th March 2022, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Teeming with exquisite textiles, stationery, apparel, jewellery, footwear, lifestyle, home decor, and utilities, the Buzzaar offers something appealing for everyone. Food stalls scattered across the Festival and at the Night Market will have an array of sensational food.

Friends of the Festival

This year, the Jaipur Literature Festival also brings an exclusive Friends of the Festival experience. Through this, one can avail access to an exclusive Friends of the Festival (FOF) Lounge with specially curated snacks, tea or coffee at all times; exclusive Book Signing and Book Deliveries to the FOF lounge; lunch and dinner on Festival days (10th-14th March 2022); priority seating for special sessions; free entry to the Jaipur Music Stage at Clarks Amer (10th-12th March 2022); sundowner evenings at the Friends of the Festival lounge with specially curated cocktails (10th-13th March 2022); a grand closing night – Writers’ Ball on 14th March 2022 (valid only for 5-day package buyers) and many more. To become a FOF, visitors can register here.