Program

Mahatma Gandhi wrote letters prodigiously. He wrote from wherever home was, from trains, aboard ships, and from the jail, where he spent long stretches of time. Among the letters he wrote, those to his family form a distinct genre - intimate and yet full of public concerns. Those to his youngest son, Devadas, have remained largely unpublished. Academic, former diplomat and author Gopalkrishna Gandhi brings to us a compilation of Gandhi's letters to his son Devdas in his latest book, Scorching Love. They give a glimpse of the householder in the leader and the father in the mass icon. His deep love for his kin was scorching but also clasps the recipient in a bond that is beyond description for it is utterly selfless.

Two exceptional writers explore the nuances of the written word and the world of fiction. Rising literary star Neel Patel’s debut novel, Tell Me How to Be, is by turns heartbreaking and warm, both soft and striking, intimate as it is immense. Patel’s story is one of reflection, revelation, reconciliation, and choice. It follows a mother and her son chasing those elusive questions - how, and what, to be? Award-winning writer Sanjena Sathian’s debut novel, Gold Diggers, is an Indian-American magical realist coming of age story, spanning two continents, two coasts, and four epochs. In razor sharp and deeply funny prose, Sathian captures what it is to grow up as a member of a family, of a diaspora, and of the American meritocracy.

Let’s play music together! Come join us as we go around the world twice, exploring music and sounds across six continents … and walk away with a book and a maraca! Parlando School of Musical Arts and local author Visda Carson have created an interactive program where children and their parents are encouraged to join in reading, listening to music, and singing along at this interactive event. Although this program is designed with younger children in mind (ages 0 – 5 years), older children are welcome as well! We are grateful to Boulder's Human Relations Commission for providing the grant that allows us to bring this event to you.

Ecopoetics is found in the direct moment of fluid perception—this one—and now this one—an active attention to experience as it moves. We will tune into the echo of ecological relations, playfully exploring the dynamic networks of this rhythmic organism which we are collectively composing and being composed by.

Journalist and writer Meenakshi Ahamed’s recent book, A Matter Of Trust, charts the complex relationship between India and the United States from the years following Indian Independence to today’s evolving politics. Based on her research of presidential papers, newly declassified documents, memoirs, and interviews, the book evaluates the dynamics between the people in power in both countries against the backdrop of constantly developing socio-political-economic changes. Together with the former United States Ambassador to India, Ken Juster, and journalist and foriegn policy expert Seema Sirohi, the session focuses on the far-reaching implications of this relationship and the current global political climate.

The Silk Road is as iconic in world history as the Colossus of Rhodes or the Suez Canal. But what exactly was the Silk Road? It conjures up a hazy image of a caravan of camels laden with silk on a dusty desert track, reaching from China to Rome. Academic and author Valerie Hansen questions these ideas in her book, The Silk Road: A New History. In conversation with historian, author, and Festival Co-Director William Dalrymple, Hansen introduces us to a new way of looking at The Silk Road and challenges our very perception of history.

Stephen and Randall will discuss trends and drivers of the current state of polarization in the United States and explore opportunities to mitigate the rising division.

In this workshop, participants will explore the ways in which they perceive and express identity; how their inheritances, their choices, and their experiences shape the way they define themselves; and the ways that they use language to express those definitions. Through comprehensive discussion, reading, and writing, participants will find new ways to see and express themselves through poetry. In some cases, this work will also aim to expand use of language using poetic devices and may experiment in form.

Best selling author André Aciman's collection of essays, Homo Irrealis, explores what time means to artists who cannot grasp life in the present. Irrealis moods are not about the past, the present or the future, instead, they are about what might have been but never was but in theory, could still happen. From meditations on subway poetry and the temporal resonances of an empty Italian street to considerations of the lives and work of famous thinkers, the collection is a deep reflection on the imagination's power to forge a zone outside of time’s intractable hold. In conversation with historian and author David Nasaw, Aciman takes us on a spellbinding journey that combines aesthetics, art, and his lived experiences.

Celebrated actor, screenwriter, author, and child-rights activist Nandana Dev Sen takes us through a lyrical journey of poetry, memory, and identity. Her poetry collection, Acrobat, is a translation of her mother Nabaneeta Sen’s work, which is an intricate thread on womanhood, intimacy, body politics, and motherhood. In conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, Sen discusses her inspiration, the process behind this translation, and her own prolific career.

Maeve Conran will interview Gordon Gamm and Randall Butler on the question: “How to engage in constructive conversations to build bridges of understanding across our differences?” It should be an exciting adventure to heal hyper partisanship and hatred of the “other.”

The enthralling genre of crime and detective fiction gives us an understanding of the faultlines and fissures in society. Manuel Ramos​ has published eleven crime fiction novels and two dozen short stories. His latest novel, Angels in the Wind: A Mile High Noir, is the fourth in the Chicano noir series. David Heska Wanbli Weiden's debut novel, Winter Counts, is a groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx. Ausma Zehanat Khan's novel, The Deadly Divide, is the fifth in her detective Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty series. 

Academic and writer Tarun Khanna’s co-authored book, Making Meritocracy: Lessons from China and India, from Antiquity to the Present, takes a considered look at the making of meritocracy - historically, philosophically, and practically - in two of the world’s oldest civilisations. Focusing on how contemporary policy makers, educators, and private-sector practitioners seek to promote meritocracy in present times, the book provides a rich lesson for countries across the world. In conversation with author and investment manager Liaquat Ahamed, he evaluates merit and equity to cast new light on some of the most urgent social and political questions.

The stories that we share about who we are and who others are can either serve or sever our world. To share a story is an awesome responsibility that too many of us take for granted. In this session, we will tune into the motivations behind the stories we share, the impact of context on content, and how our communication styles can either support or suppress our communicative intent.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has evoked the spirit of Maharani Jindan Kaur through fact and creative fiction. Kaur was regent of the vast Sikh Empire from 1843 until 1846. She was renowned for her energy and strength of purpose. When Governor General Dalhousie wrote of her, he noted, “She has the only manly understanding in the Punjab.” Divakaruni has previously authored several celebrated books: Mistress of Spices, The Palace of Illusions, The Forest of Enchantments, and most recently, The Last Queen. In conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, Divakaruni narrates a fascinating tale of motherhood, feminine strength, and royalty, as well as the fluidity of power.

Academic and author David Nasaw’s book, The Last Million: Europe’s Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War, is a chilling account of the one million displaced persons who found themselves stranded in Germany after the end of World War 2. Resurrecting the history of postwar displacement and statelessness, the book confronts the devastation and aftermath of the Holocaust. In conversation withThomas Pegelow Kaplan, Nasaw discusses this gripping but until now hidden story with its implications on the contemporary refugee crises.

William Timpson will draw on his international experiences in Northern Ireland, South Korea, and Burundi, East Africa to offer a few core principles that helped guide those in conflict toward agreements in process, principle, and practice that proved effective in resolving disagreements and promoting cooperation. Prof. Timpson, Patty Limerick, and Randall Butler will discuss how those international examples could inform the process for negotiating a new Colorado River Compact to replace the current Compact after its expiration in 2026.

In this workshop, we will use Afro-, ethno-, and ancestral approaches to futurism, different cultural perceptions of time, and how to depict our visions using word, image, light, and shadow. We will explore how we use our many capacities in visioning and creating futures, including imagination, empathy, embodiment, poetry, and scenario planning. Together, we will explore solutions for the 21st century by merging orality and stories, engaging in altar spaces and destinies, and rituals. Our hands-on creativity will culminate in an installation and altar that can be displayed in the festival and other spaces.

200 years of tumultuous colonial history are contained within the pages of historian William Dalrymple’s four magisterial books The Anarchy, White Mughals, Return of a King and The Last Mughal. Dalrymple will talk about the replacement of the Mughal Empire’s by the first global corporate power, the East India Company, a corporation that wielded more power than Google, Tesla, Facebook, ExxonMobil & Microsoft combined, and which used its power to control both the economy and the politics of half the globe.

Award-winning author, poet, and translator Arundhathi Subramaniam’s remarkable book, Women Who Wear Only Themselves: Conversations with Four Travelers on Sacred Journeys, depicts the spiritual journeys of four extraordinary women as the writer assumes the role of “seeker” of the path to intimacy with the universe. Subramaniam’s other celebrated works include Love Without a Story, When God is a Traveler, The Book of Buddha, Eating God: A Book of Bhakti Poetry, and Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga with Sadhguru. In conversation with Manasi Subramaniam, Subramaniam takes us along an evocative journey through the lives of four self-contained, unapologetic female spiritual travelers.

A general political problem is how to balance the need for concentrated power in the hand of the state -- which is needed for effective governance -- against the egalitarian desire to equalize power. Modern African, as well as contemporary Western politics, demonstrate remarkable empathy for citizens’ suffering from power, but limited sympathy for those same citizens’ ambitions for power. When citizens rise up, the predictable exhortation from the United Nations Secretary-General and Western governments is to urge the governments cracking down on protesters to “exercise restraint” and for the citizens to protest peacefully. This exhortation comes from a limited conception of power as a zero (or “negative”) sum good. In this session, Professor Wingo distinguishes between “positive” political power appropriately wielded by the state, and “negative” power that individuals may use to protect their own activities and interests from excessive or illegitimate state action, and argues for institutions and practices designed to equalize power by “leveling up” the powerless to match the strong – “To make every man a prince and every woman a princess.”

The Elisa Garcia Quartet plays Latin American folk songs from Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, down to Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Bringing rhythms like huapango, boleros, cumbias, zambas, and candombes, the quartet takes listeners on a journey through Latin America. The Quartet is made up of Uruguayan singer/guitarist Elisa Garcia, Mexican percussionist Leo Munoz-Corona, world-renowned Venezuelan pianist Victor Mestas, and violinist Jeff Schuler.

Tomb of Sand, Daisy Rockwell's exuberant rendering of Geetanjali Shree's Hindi novel, Ret Samadhi, won the International Booker Prize for 2022. The tale is of an octogenarian woman who rises from deep depression to fly in the face of convention and break across borders and boundaries. Rockwell's vibrant translation challenges ideas of the ordinary and brings the brilliance of contemporary Hindi literature to a wider readership. Previously, she has published numerous translations from Hindi and Urdu. In conversation with Manasi Subramaniam, Rockwell discusses Tomb of Sand and the larger landscape of translation.

A session drawing from personal narratives, histories, and cultures to explore the journeys of the writing life. Navy veteran, academic, and writer Steven Dunn’s second novel, Water & Power, plunges into military culture and engages with perceptions of heroism, terrorism, and deeply embedded trauma. In conversation with Arsen Kashkashian, Dunn discusses the sources of his inspirations and explores the ways in which his writing opens doors to his identity, community, and self.

Experts say that 95% of the ocean is completely untraversed. To date, scientists have explored about 4% of the visible universe. As human beings, we are sandwiched between two gigantic dark masses filled with mystery, beauty, illusion, and so much atmospheric pressure that they literally blow our minds. Yet, we spend so much of our awake experience trying to restrain our thoughts, environments, and emotions. In this Jaipur Literature Festival adventure, we look to celebrate the only fact that we know: “Nothing just IS.” Join Emeritus Poet Laureate Jovan Mays in this engaging generative writing experience, where participants will strap into their own metaphoric spaceships and take a deep dive to make their own meanings of the mysteries.

Academic and author Jason Neelis takes us on a fascinating journey examining the catalysts for Buddhist formation in ancient South Asia. Exploring its expansion throughout the northwestern Indian subcontinent to Central Asia, Neelis investigates the symbiotic relationships between networks of religious mobility and trade. In conversation with historian, author, and Festival Co-Director William Dalrymple.

Sri Aurobindo was an iconic 20th century Indian philosopher, poet, nationalist, and yoga guru. Writer and medical practitioner Pariksith Singh's inspirational book, Sri Aurobindo and Philosophy, takes a deep look into the Guru's life and ideas of an eternal and emergent India. Rooted in Vedantic expression, the book gives us a glimpse into the mind of the man and the community behind the famed Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, India.

Inuit writer Norma Dunning's recent poetry collection, Akia: The Other Side, is an ode to her heritage and a tribute to the Inuits of the past, present, and future. In a vivid session of poetry and remembrance, In conversation with writer and academic Natalie Avalos, Dunning speaks of the injustices of the past and the power of lived experiences and cultural memory.

The food we eat has a formative influence on every aspect of our lives. Ethical food choices and dietary wisdom can sustain and nourish us and the planet we inhabit. Richard Freeman, Mary Taylor, and Miguel Gil talk of the transformative power of understanding the changing needs of our bodies through seasons and circumstances, and of the human joy and communion of breaking bread together.

Using a guided-interview process, participants will begin to establish biographical backgrounds, physical attributes, quirks, life journeys, dark sides, and aspirations for unique, fully fleshed characters they can further develop in monologue form, or be incorporated in to dramatic settings. (No experience necessary, but having a general idea for your character is encouraged).

Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir, Greetings From Bury Park, is a hymn to his late father and to the other great hero in his life - Bruce Springsteen. Adapted into film as Blinded By The Light by Gurinder Chadha, it chronicles his experiences as a British Muslim boy growing up in 1980s Luton and the impact Springsteen’s lyrics had upon him. His recent book, They: What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each Other, examines the roots of the social and cultural divisions that plague Britain today. Introduced by Maeve Conran, Manzoor takes us on a journey through his life and work.

The great Indian epic poem, the Ramcharitmanas, was composed in the 16th century in Awadhi by Goswami Tulsidas and has retained its religious and literary primacy through orality, ritual, and literature. Academic and cultural historian Philip Lutgendorf has worked extensively on the Ramcharitmanas, and his definitive English translation, published by the Murty Classical Library of India, runs into seven volumes. The 7th Volume will be out at the end of this year, coinciding with Tulsidas’ 400th death anniversary in 2023. In conversation with Arundhathi Subramaniam, Lutgendorf discusses the impact and outreach of this classic text and the poetic genius of Tulsidas.

Poetry at its best illuminates a truth that we all knew but never had words for. Melissa May’s work is a fight song for representation in a Cover Girl world. Rukus is a manifesto of funny bones and bare knuckles, while Jozer breaks down the Southern border walls to show us both a mirror and a window. What happens when World Poetry Slam finalists and national touring comedians and songwriters absolve listeners to the motif of a high-octane jazz band? A word explosion! Accompanied by Boulder's own Von Disco.

Award-winning journalist Julian Rubinstein’s book, The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun, and the Struggle to Save an American Neighborhood, reconstructs the events around a summer evening in 2013, when five gunshots forever changed the course of revered anti-gang activist Terrance Robert’s life. Recently adapted into a documentary film, it explores the history of gang violence in a traditionally Black Denver neighborhood called the Holly. A multigenerational saga of race and politics that runs from the civil rights movement to Black Lives Matter, Robert’s trial exposes the faultlines of the city’s social, political, and legal crevices. In conversation with Hillary A. Potter, they discuss the fatal night that opened a Pandora’s box of questions on race, policing, and the abuse of power.

The allure of the Himalayas has for millennia beckoned travelers in search of spiritual awakening. Harley Rustad’s gripping new work, Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas, chronicles the fate of American backpacker, Justin Alexander Shetler, his expedition across the globe and the mystery of his disappearance in the remote and storied Parvati Valley - at once dark, dangerous, and a source of enlightenment. In conversation with George Taylor, Rustad discusses the spiritual journey from which Shetler never returned.

Since 2013, the city of Aurora, Colorado has built a Poet Laureate program to represent a municipality that speaks over 160 languages, making it one of the refugee capitals of the American West. In this conversation/performance, current and past Laureates of the City will discuss the intersection where civics, creativity, and community collide.

Please join us for wild stories, live music, and a magical celebration of the transformative power of place

“Men have lived and men have died

Where the peaks are glorified

Never knowing that they trod,

On the golden hills of God;

Never knowing stone and tree Symbolize Divinity.”

Clyde Robertson from Fools Gold, 1934

Kippen is an 1870s mining camp near Boulder, Colorado, where two visionary women lived a century apart. They both learned how a place in nature can serve as a transformative mirror which reflects the state of our inner world as well as the voice of our planet.

Clyde Robertson was the first woman Poet Laureate of Colorado from 1953 to her death in 1954. She is famous for her feisty ballads that offer an inside view of the wild and lawless mining camps she lived in during the Colorado Gold Rush in the early 1900s. She was able to express both the beauty and the horror of those times and was renowned for her unflinching “interpretation of 18th century America” (New York Times 1953). She lived at Kippen from the 1930s until her passing.

A series of multivocal poetry readings where different rhythms and styles converge in a joyous celebration of imaginative possibility.