Jaipur Literature Festival Rescheduled Amid Covid Surge: A Literary Odyssey
Amidst the swirling tides of a global pandemic, the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), originally slated to grace the calendar from January 28th to February 1st, now finds its place in the sun postponed to the period between March 5th and 14th. This decision, a somber reflection of the escalating crescendo of Covid cases, resonates with the solemnity of our times.
Gathered under the expansive umbrella of literary discourse, approximately 250 luminaries from the realms of authors, thinkers, politicians, and cultural vanguards from across the globe are anticipated to grace this event. Yet, in acknowledgment of the volatile landscape, the festival will straddle the digital and physical realms. From March 5th to 9th, it will dance in the ethereal realms of virtual reality, only to solidify its presence from March 10th to 14th in the corporeal world.
Sanjoy K Roy, the torchbearer of this literary symphony, articulated, “In light of the dawn of a new variant and the exponential surge of cases nationwide, we deemed it prudent to reschedule the Festival to the vernal month of March 2022. Our unwavering commitment remains to resurrect the Festival in Jaipur, a sanctuary for the exchange of ideas, where discourse and deliberation on literature and its myriad facets thrive.”
India, grappling with the onslaught of a raging pandemic, reported a staggering 117,100 fresh cases of Covid-19 on that fateful Friday, a grim testament to the relentless march of the virus, chiefly propelled by the insidious Omicron variant.
This year, a metamorphosis awaits the festival, as it relinquishes its traditional abode of Diggi Palace to the embrace of Hotel Clarks Amber, Jaipur, adorned with additional amenities to accommodate the influx of attendees while adhering steadfastly to the stringent Covid-19 safety protocols mandated by the authorities.
Among the illustrious ensemble set to grace the festival stage are the likes of Elif Shafak, the luminary of Turkish literature; the multifaceted Hollywood luminary Rupert Everett; the laurelled Srilankan wordsmith Shehan Karunatilaka; the distinguished Jamaican bard Kei Miller; the Booker Prize laureate Damon Galgut; the venerable DBC Pierre, adorned with the 2003 Booker Prize laurel; and the erudite historian-biographer Andrew Lownie, each a beacon illuminating the corridors of literature with their distinctive brilliance.