Program

"Paradise: that elusive place where the anxieties, struggles, and burdens of life fall away. Most of us dream of it, but each of us has very different ideas about where it is to be found. For some it can be enjoyed only after death; for others, it's in our midst-or just across the ocean-if only we can find eyes to see it."

Celebrated writer Pico Iyer's latest book, The Half Known Life, is a tribute to the insatiable human longing for Paradise. Traveling across Iran to North Korea, from the Dalai Lama's Himalayas to the ghostly temples of Japan, Iyer brings forth a caravan of explorations to upend our idea of utopia and explores the process of finding peace in midst of chaos. In conversation with writer and academic Andrew Schelling.

Bioarchaeologist and academic Cat Jarman's recent book, The Bone Chests, takes a deep dive into ancient relics and burial sites, unveiling  stories of early medieval England. Jarman's research illuminates the lives, deaths, and cultural practices of the Anglo-Saxons, challenging long-held perceptions and offering fresh insights. In conversation with academic and writer Brian A Catlos, Jarman discusses the scientific techniques used, and the historical significance of her discoveries, bringing the past vividly to life.

Renowned writer and Festival Director Namita Gokhale is the author of more than twenty-three books. Her debut novel, Paro: Dreams of Passion, first published in 1984, has been issued as a Modern Classic by Penguin India. The trajectory of her work touches an astonishing range. Her innovative ideas seeded the Jaipur Literature Festival and many other forums that center staged books and translations as a cultural priority . Where does Gokhale’s energy and vision come from? In conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, she discusses her narratives and a life in books.

Celebrated academic, writer and presenter Reza Aslan's recent book, A Kids Book About Israel and Palestine, lays out context to the conflict while examining the possibilities of an open conversation for a shared peaceful future in our world. In conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, Aslan attempts to equip parents and educators with the tools to address this complex topic with clarity and sensitivity.

Literary pursuits increasingly span different forms of narrative possibility, and genres merge and intersect, writers whose work converges - visual, textual, plastic and performance - speak of their creative practice.

Chigozie Obioma's new novel, The Road to the Country, is a story of a young man seeking redemption in a nation on fire. It follows his journey from Nigeria to the United States highlighting the challenges and triumphs of his search for a better life. Obioma's two previous novels The Fisherman and The Orchestra of Minorities were both finalists for the Booker Prize. In conversation with award-winning author and festival co-director Namita Gokhale, Obioma discusses his creative process and the different worlds he traverses.

The stories we hear, tell, and retell about ourselves come together into the self-narrative we recognize as our identities. Shastri Akella’s descriptive debut novel Sea Elephants follows an adolescent Shagun’s coming-of-age tussle between his queer desires and the unwelcoming social context of 90s India, a narrative the author acknowledges is rooted in personal stories. Pardis Mahdavi’s committed work to studying and bridging inequality across social structures, with a particular focus on the Middle-East, borrows from her experiences of her many identities. Parul Kumar also returns to her homeland in her emotional debut Inside the Mirror, the story of twin sisters who struggle to build new versions of themselves in the wake of the split identity of a postcolonial, post-Partition India.  A session in which three writers discuss their take on converging and conflicting identities, the residual linkages to the lands they left and how they narrate themselves.

A dangerous sense of crisis fatigue has set in even as rocketing temperatures, rising seas, droughts and disasters indicate a planet on the boil. Author and journalist Jeff Goodell has spent the past two decades studying and reporting on the environment crisis in works such as his latest The Heat Will Kill You: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet. Marcus Moench, founder of ISET-international, uses art and traditional scholarship to address climate issues, with a focus on water and urbanization. In conversation with environmental philosopher Jeanine M. Canty, they address the impending environmental catastrophe.

Ruby Lal's recent work, Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan, is the first ever biography of Princess Gulbadan, sole female historian and the adventurous daughter of Babur, the founder of  the Mughal Empire. An intimate exploration of gender, power and loyalty, Lal's biography takes us through the life of a charismatic adventurer and the multicultural society she lived in. Lal breathes new life into an extraordinary Mughal figure and establishes her unique place in a history that has long been dominated by men's actions and words. Lal will be in conversation with celebrated writer and television host, Reza Aslan

A deep dive into the crossroads of crime where seasoned writers of noir fiction explore the darker facets of human nature. What makes crime fiction so compelling? The genre provides a cross-section perspective on the frailties of society while exploring the tensions and moral ambiguities of human motivation.

Language and communication derive from the interplay of words, images, sounds, and symbols. This dynamic session celebrates the transformative power of graphics in storytelling. Nancy Silberkleit, co-CEO of Archie Comics, explores how beloved characters like Archie and his gang have captured the imaginations of generations. Ruchira Gupta, with her groundbreaking graphic novel I Kick and I Fly, brings a profound narrative to life through vivid illustrations. Together, they discuss how publishers and authors are innovating with context, references, and illustration to engage today's tech-savvy generation, creating new ways to captivate and inspire readers of all ages.

Author and academic Douglas Penick's recent work, The Oceans of Cruelty: Twenty-Five Tales of a Corpse-Spirit,  wades daringly into some of the oldest stories of the Indian subcontinent. Drawn by ancient Asian traditions, myth, and spiritual stories, Penick has birthed some unusual operas like Ashoka’s Dream and novels derived from his expansive familiarity with the tales and histories of India. From the land of kings and bloodthirsty demons and talking spirits was born the lore of Vikram and Vetal. The narrative frame of his recent work matches that of Scheherazade in  Thousand and One Nights’, with the incubus Vetal’s tricky stories taking on new life through Penick’s careful crafting. A session on myth and storytelling, the power of retelling, and their crucial place in the fabric of our lives today.  In conversation with author and Festival Co-Director Namita Gokhale, whose work shares Penick’s investment in the rich mythological stories of India.

A multivocal poetry reading where different rhythms and styles converge in a joyous celebration of imaginative possibility by addressing the world as it stands today.

Despite the push for women's inclusion and empowerment in various spaces, many women's rights remain invisible even within feminism. This session aims to bring to focus one such epicenter of women’s autonomy that is often sidelined: sexual rights. Renowned journalist, activist, and award-winning documentarian Ruchira Gupta is the founder of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, an anti-sex trafficking organization that is only one of her multi-pronged responses to human trafficking. Pardis Mahdavi’s recent book, The Book of Queen, draws threads from past to present, starting with Mahdavi’s fearless Iranian grandmother who guided domestic violence survivors to independent mountain colonies in Afghanistan. Foundational in their work on the sexual rights of marginalized women, they will excavate together the stories of these women often forgotten by the world.

An intense session that examines the tragic consequences of a world at war with itself, and the antidotes to destructive hatred through love, peace and harmony. Izzeldin Abuelaish is author of the powerful and devastating memoir, I Shall Not Hate, which stands witness to his personal tragedies. A Palestinian-Canadian physician and an internationally recognised humanitarian, and  peace activist, he has dedicated his life to using health as a vehicle for peace aided by a great determination of spirit, strong faith, and a stalwart belief in hope and family.