Online initiative by organisers of Jaipur Literature Festival and HarperCollins India to explore literature produced in Indian languages

Teamwork Arts, the producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) in collaboration with HarperCollins India is set to kick-off a new online literary initiative, Jaipur Literature Festival – Words are Bridges, on 2 July.

With the aim of bringing together a range of literary wealth spanning over several languages, the first season of the series will explore writings in Indian languages and their English translations. Each of the eight episodes in the season will start off with readings from works of Indian literature produced in Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, Punjabi and Kannada, followed by a discussion between the authors and translators.

Among the literary artists who are a part of this initiative is the Bengali poet, Joy Goswami. In the session, Translating Joy, Goswami will be in conversation with poet and fiction writer, Sampurna Chattarji, and the art critic and cultural theorist, Ranjit Hoskote. Also a part of the line-up for the season is Rita Kothari in conversation with Vikrant Pande as well as Arupa Patangia Kalita, who will be discussing the beauty of Assam’s landscapes and the devastating conflicts in the State with her translator Ranjita Biswas and author Aruni Kashyap.

Of the initiative which will see an interaction between different Indian languages and cultures, Namita Gokhale, the co-director of the JLF, said, “India’s unique literary landscape, with its rich diversity and staggering multi-linguality, will be explored through a fascinating series of sessions that bring together writers, translators and commentators.”

Jaipur Literature Festival – Words are Bridges, brought about by Teamwork Arts and HarperCollins India will be streamed online from 2 July, 2020.