Literary heavyweights to descend at Jaipur lit fest

Keeping up with the tradition of introducing Indian audience to global thinkers and writers, the Jaipur Literature Festival 2015 has chosen luminaries from the field of art, literature and poetry to talk on various themes, organisers said Friday.

The festival, brain child of Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, will be held in Jaipur Jan 21-25, 2015. It is produced by Teamwork Arts.

In a brave attempt to offer a grand platform to poetry lovers, the festival organisers have invited Pulitzer Prize winning poet Vijay Seshadri, Hindi poet and Jnanpith awardee Kedarnath Singh, and revered poet Vinod Kumar Shukla to take the audience on a poetic journey.

Celebrated British poet Ruth Padel, Palestinian-American poet Fady Joudah and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Ashok Vajpeyi will explore the poetic imagination with discussions cutting across forms and languages.

Dialogues on art history and art appreciation, and sessions focusing on different aspects of Indian art will also play a major role at the festival.

There will be a session on art as well as a look at the interplay between Buddhism and architecture. Acclaimed Pakistani painter, writer and academic Salima Hashmi will throw light on the unknown masterpieces of Pakistani art.

Pakistani-British author Kamila Shamsie, Nigerian author Helon Habila and South African Mark Gevisser, known for his biography of South African politician Thabo Mbeki, will also be attending the five-day literary gala.

"This festival is a magical and transformative experience for the mind and soul. The infectious joy of collective energies and stimulation of books and reading, ideas and dialogue, pulls together visitors from all corners of the globe," said Gokhale, co-director of the festival.

Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul, father of modern travel writing Paul Theroux, 2014 Man Booker Prize nominee Neel Mukherjee, 2013 Man Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton and Samuel Johnson Prize winner and author of "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher" Kate Summerscale will also be attending the festival.