New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) Actor and television personality Simi Garewal, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj and singer Rekha Bhardwaj are among the guests in the latest list of speakers who will attend the 20th Jaipur Literature Festival from January 14 to 18 in Jaipur.
The festival, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary at Jaipur's Hotel Clarks Amer, will feature a constellation of voices spanning literature, science, journalism, history, economics, law, technology, food, fashion, culture and the arts.
Other noted speakers to participate in the literary gala include restaurateur Rahul Akerkar, poet and cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote, author Jeet Thayil, actor Joy Sengupta, author and podcaster Shunali Khullar Shroff, singer-playwright Isheeta Ganguly, actor Namita Dubey, neurosurgeon Mazda Turel, writer Kiran Manral, and Hindi author Divya Prakash Dubey.
"Over the past 20 years, the Jaipur Literature Festival has evolved from a literary gathering into one of the world's most celebrated international literary festivals, creating a vibrant meeting ground for writers, thinkers, artists, policymakers and readers from across the globe. Rooted in the belief that literature and ideas should be accessible to all, the festival has consistently championed an open and democratic space for dialogue, discovery and the exchange of perspectives," the organisers said in a statement.
The festival will also host Nobel laureates Olga Tokarczuk and Esther Duflo, authors Avni Doshi, Anamika, Geetanjali Shree, and Damodar Mauzo, journalists Sanjoy Hazarika and Omar El Akkad, senior advocate Indira Jaising, and entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw among others.
Speaking at a preview at The Quorum in Mumbai, Sanjoy K Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts and producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival, reflected on the festival's journey over two decades and its evolution into a "global platform for literature, ideas and cultural exchange".
“Since its inception, the Jaipur Literature Festival has welcomed over 5 million visitors and brought together more than 8,000 writers, speakers and artists, reaching an estimated global audience of over 1 billion. What began as a gathering in Jaipur has grown into a global platform for literature, ideas and cultural exchange. As we mark our 20th edition, we remain committed to making literature and knowledge accessible to all and bringing diverse voices together," he said.
An earlier list of speakers included Bangladeshi writer Tahmima Anam, scholar and critic Homi K Bhabha, journalist-historian Shrabani Basu, Irish writer Louise Kennedy, British-Palestinian writer Isabella Hammad, former chief election commissioner of India S Y Quraishi, Belgian archeologist David Van Reybrouck, writer Sudha Murty, and Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet.
