The 14th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) is all set to begin on February 19 and no wonder everyone is waiting to attend the sessions of key speakers in the renewed virtual format. Dubbed as ‘Kumbh Mela of literature’, every year the fest has an impressive line-up of speakers from around the world and this year is no different. The guests will talk about racism, nationalism, books, and of course the coronavirus pandemic, in their pre-recorded videos.
Also Read | Venue, registration process: All you need to know about ‘Jaipur Literature Festival’
From Bill Gates to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, here are the top sessions and discussions that you must attend at JLF 2021.
Across Genres: Classical, Folk, and Popular Music (February 19, 11 am – 11.45 am)
The event will kickstart with poet, writer, lyricist and communication specialist Prasoon Joshi diving deep into the various branches of music and its evolution with singer, musician, writer and social activist Vidya Shah.
‘Unfinished’ (February 19, 5 pm – 5.45 pm)
Actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas has joined the list of speakers at JLF and will dig deep into her new memoir ‘Unfinished’, a collection of her personal and professional essays, stories and observations, alongside author-columnist Shobhaa De.
Till We Win: India’s Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic (February 21, 11 am-11.45 am)
In this session, Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, will be discussing India’s battle against the deadly pandemic. Health systems expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya and infectious disease researcher and virologist Dr Gagandeep Kang will also join Guleria at the session.
Who Rules The World? (February 21, 6 pm – 6.45 pm)
Popular American philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky will delve into his 2014 book ‘Who Rules the World?’ The book critically questions the exercise of power by the United States in conflict areas after the 9/11 terror attacks. In a 45-minute session with journalist Sreenivasan Jain, Chomsky is expected to talk about public participation in the political sphere.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (February 25, 11 am-11.45 am)
In his first-ever appearance at JLF, billionaire businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates will hold the mic to explain his detailed plan for how the planet can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions to avoid a climate catastrophe in near future.
Reflections (February 26, 3 pm – 3.45 pm)
British Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor and humanities scholar and Harvard professor Homi K Bhabha will be sharing their wisdom about their life and work and how their sculptures paradoxically entwine esoteric philosophy with sensual everyday experience.
The Battle of Belonging (February 26, 6 pm – 6.45 pm)
Author-politician Shashi Tharoor will talk about his latest book, ‘The Battle of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism, And What It Means To Be Indian’ along with journalist Faye D’Souza. Both speakers will hold a discussion on the varied renditions of nationalism and patriotism as well.
