In pictures: Guests soak in culture, books, and art at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2023

The festival, now in its 16th edition, is being hosted at the Hotel Clarks Amer this year

New Delhi | January 21, 2023 07:10 PM IST

3 min read

A guest at an art installation at Jaipur literature festival 2023. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

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It’s that time of the year again when literature enthusiasts and book lovers make their way to Jaipur for the Jaipur Literature Festival! The festival, now in its 16th edition, is being hosted at the Hotel Clarks Amer this year. The speakers in the 2023 edition are a mix of Nobel prize winners, Booker and International Booker prize winners, Pulitzer recipients and many more.

Guests pose for a quick photo at the Jaipur Lit Fest 2023. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

The 350 speakers include names such as Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, lyricist and author Gulzar, International Booker Prize-winning author Geetanjali Shree, Sahitya Akademi Award winner Chandraprakash Deval, Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, and philanthropist Sudha Murty, among others.

A festival attendee in front of an art installation. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

The sessions tackle various topics, ranging from women’s and gender issues, climate debate and India at 75 to the Russia-Ukraine war and current affairs.

Also Read | Jaipur is perfect for the world’s most egalitarian book festival: William Dalrymple

A bibliophile at the JLF bookstall. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

The festival also treats guests to many live performances of dance and music.

Visitors browse books at the stalls. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

Day one began with an inaugural session with speeches from authors William Dalrymple, Namita Gokhale and Sanjoy K Roy. Dalrymple, who is also the founder and co-director of the festival, said in his speech, “…this year we have every single major book award winner in the world present, the Nobel, the Booker, the International Booker, the JCB…the Women’s Prize and so on…It’s going to be cerebral heaven and an utterly magnificent feast of the mind. The kind of superb university people with fellows of all toes…with great minds from St. Stephens, from Harvard, from Yale—all available for free alongside these Nobel Prize winners, and it is an utterly magnificent feast of the mind sustaining inspiration.”

Some art installations have become popular photo spots. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

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The festival features many book stalls from which book lovers can browse and buy volumes of their choice. They boast a unique and varied collection.

Gusts congregate near at installation at JLF. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

The festival is also dotted with art installations and colourful exhibits that are catching the eyes of guests. As such, in addition to the enriching sessions, the attendees are soaking in varied forms of art at the literature festival.

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