In the first part of this two-part special, the iGlobal columnist reviews the just-concluded Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) in London.
The London edition of the popular Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) returned to the British Library this weekend, including a fascinating synergy of authors, journalists, musicians, artists, chefs and much more.
The event was opened on the evening of June 7 with introductory speeches at an evening event by Sanjoy K. Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts Pvt Ltd – responsible for organising all iterations of the JLF globally. He was joined by Namita Gokhale, the Festival Co-Director and His Excellency Vikram Doraiswami, the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom. The High Commissioner’s presence underscored the importance which India places on showcasing and highlighting its vibrant and ancient culture abroad, especially in the dynamic field of literature.
Festivals such as this one, as Mr Roy emphasised, are platforms to bring about change. Combating the impact of a volatile climate on the poor was a theme. Building more lasting people to people links between India and the United Kingdom was also a key aspect that was discussed.
Namita Gokhale mentioned the ‘right to dream’ being a most fundamental human right. Dreams and ideas are rooted in books and the arts, so a festival of literature, arts and culture is therefore an important event. This is highly relevant at a time when much of the world is still undemocratic in a political and cultural context, with growing restrictions on ideas in some parts of the world. It is a positive thing that India and the United Kingdom are both liberal democracies that allow for the exploration of ideas through the arts. She also talked about the porous spaces between books and cinema, which is an interesting field because not everything can be portrayed effectively on screen whereas books can contain many new things.
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Indian High Commissioner Doraiswami lauded the global contribution of books, talking about the connections between cultures and how books are at the core of the ideas that connect our cultures. It was notable that some 12-15 per cent of India speaks English, he pointed out, so that the English language has become a medium of connection and India can legitimately consider itself the second largest collection of English-speaking peoples. He also noted that books cannot always translate into cinema, giving them unique properties as mediums of cultural linkage between peoples.
The first event at the Jaipur Literature Festival London was called ‘Lost and Found in Adaptations’ with prominent director Shekhar Kapur, Vikas Swarup the Indian diplomat and author whose novel ‘Q&A’ was adapted as the famous film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, and playwright/producer Sarah Phelps who has written for ‘EastEnders’. It centred around adaptations of literature to the big and small screen, the importance of originality and not relying on others’ interpretation as a writer. An interesting point that was covered was the role of AI in transforming cinema, which will be the next great leap in the industry.
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The first day of the Jaipur Literature Festival London was a fascinating insight into the world of books and how they can translate into other arts, while acting as a cultural link between worlds.
*Info: JLF London