“Art and culture” will be the festival’s central theme in 2024.

The main themes for the 17th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival have been revealed by Teamwork Arts, the festival’s organizers. The event will take place from February 1–5, 2024, at Hotel Clarks Amer in Rajasthan’s Pink City.

“Art and culture” will be the festival’s central theme in 2024. The festival is scheduled to feature a discussion on Raja Ravi Varma‘s “artistic genius” led by lawyer Ganesh V Shivaswamy, who has studied Varma’s work extensively, in honor of India’s most prominent contemporary artist.

There will be another conversation about Leonardo da Vinci—not just as a painter, but also as an inventor and scientist. Luke Syson, curator of a museum and art historian, will examine how “the complexity of his (da Vinci’s) creativity and personality that have sometimes almost overshadowed the importance of his aims and techniques as a painter.”

Key Speakers & Artists

Tarun Tahiliani, the fashion designer, will also be attending the festival with his book, Journey to India Modern. The fashion designer will discuss his global fashion adventures as well as “his efforts to merge stories across time and space.”

In addition, writer Andrew Quintman and actor-writer Kelly Dorji will discuss the Tibetan spiritual poet Milarepa and the various ways stories influence our ceremonial, artistic, and lived aspects.

Cultural analyst Mary Beard, who is bringing her book Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the historical World to the Modern to the festival, will discuss shifting identities, historical imperial images, and how Roman art has influenced the way the West understands power.

What to Look Out For

Film critic Shubhra Gupta will discuss her book Irrfan: A Life in Movies with theater performer Sutapa Sikdar and director Vishal Bhardwaj. Conversations from people in the film business regarding their experiences and time spent with Irrfan are included in Gupta’s biography of the renowned actor.

Numerous biographies have been included in the upcoming Jaipur Literature Festival. As she brings her book Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers to the literary arena, Sharmistha Mukherjee will share a number of tales and anecdotes about the former president Pranab Mukherjee.

There’s more for Oppenheimer fans to be excited about. At the event, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kai Bird—who also co-wrote American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer—will discuss his literary journey and writing career.

Poetry, Prose & More

Gulzar, a poet and lyricist, and writer and translator Rakhshanda Jalil will discuss Jalil’s book Baal O-Par, which is a comprehensive compilation of the latter’s poetry.

At a festive evening held by Teamwork Arts at The Quorum in Mumbai, the festival’s producer, Sanjoy K Roy, spoke with author Amish on the important role that myth plays as a memory mediator. The announcement of the festival’s main topics and speakers followed.

Writer William Dalrymple said: “Every year we try and raise the bar at the Jaipur Literature Festival, but 2024 will be our finest festival yet. It is going to be utterly extraordinary and should on no account be missed!”