Jaipur Literature Festival at Boulder Announces 2016 Program and Speakers

The Jaipur Literature Festival at Boulder announces the speakers and schedule for the second-annual event, featuring 50 sessions with world-renowned authors, speakers and musicians from across the globe, with sessions and topics for the every age and interest.

The Festival begins with a very special afternoon of entertainment, Friday, September 23 from 4-5:45pm at the Canyon Theater at the Main Boulder Public Library, featuring the beautiful music of Amrit Kaur Lohia and a solo theater performance of original work by Aditya Roy. As with all presentations at the JLF at Boulder Festival, September 23-25, the performance is free and open to the public (appropriate for children ages 11 and above).

Highlights for Saturday, September 24 include:

-The Treasures of the Dragon Kingdom - a discussion with Her Majesty the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck as she speaks of her beloved Drukyul, Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, and of the continuity and change that characterize it.

-Graphic Novels: The Image and the Word - As the language of digital image challenges letters and text, a new democracy of expression emerges. Nick Sousanis wrote his dissertation in graphic novel format at Columbia University. G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel is a graphic novel about a female superhero with themes touching on feminism and Islam.

-Democracy and the Game of Thrones - A conversation around democracy, the electoral process and political choice from the forthcoming Presidential elections to the recent Brexit referendum to the complex voting patterns in India, the world's largest democracy. Featuring world-renowned economists Robert Blackwill, Nassim Nicholas Taleb and Jairam Ramesh.

- Nothing Ever Dies: Remembering the Vietnam War - A session recounting the victories, horrors and disturbances in this eight-year encounter. 2016 Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen and Andrew Lam talk on war and its consequences.

Sunday, September 25 session highlights include:

-A Sting in the Tale - The diminishing bee populations are a sign of environmental fragility, ringing alarm bells about the survival of plant and biological life. Sharing fascinating research into the effects of intensive farming on the bee population, Dave Goulson, author and Professor of Bumblebees at the University of Sussex, warns of the imminent potential dangers of human apathy.

-Brave New World: The Digital Future - In a world where the pace of change is itself changing and constantly accelerating, two wired intellects lead us through the brave new world of technology and the future shock of its irrevocable trajectory. Nicholas Carr and Gopi Kallayil speak of the digital future and the use of technology to expand the human experience.

-Black Lives: A Dream Deferred? - Despite the Civil Rights Movement of the twentieth century and changes in policy, strong undercurrents of endemic racism persist in the United States and have surfaced consistently in disturbing and heartbreaking ways over the past two years. This session that looks at these issues, choices and the struggle for equity with Marcia Douglas, Jovan Mays and Carolyn Finney.

-Women at War - Helen Thorpe is the author of Soldier Girls, a novel on war, women, friendship and resilience. Vera Hildebrand has written Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani Jhansi Regiment. Together, in conversation with Laird Hunt, they talk about the backstories of women at war.

A full program of workshops with internationally renowned authors, actors, and musicians for children and families will also be offered each day. Saturday and Sunday programs address topics including Engaging with the Arts and Storytelling, Stories My Grandmother Told Me, Whats your Story? Creating Collage Art That Tells A Story, The Sound of Music/Sunaad, Stories in Motion, and The Resistance and Resilience of Heartwork.

The complete program and bios of all speakers can be found at jaipurliteraturefestival.org/boulder.

About JLF at Boulder - Rich with words and ideas, JLF at Boulder invites participants to join together in examining the depth and breadth of the human experience through the reflections and imaginations of more than 80 distinguished contemporary authors and speakers from around the world. In these critical times, the penetrating, intercultural dialogue exchanged at this Festival of ideas speaks deeply to individuals and gives rise to the joy of community.
In its 9th year, Jaipur Literature Festival, dubbed "the greatest literary show on Earth," is the world's largest free literature festival. The Festival drew some 330,000 people to Diggi Palace in the Rajasthani capital this past January. The Festival serves as a beacon of free speech around the world, giving rise to more than 200 other literature festivals throughout South Asia and countries around the world, including JLF at Boulder.

JLF at Boulder takes place September 23-25, 2016 at the Main Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. A week of pre-events will be held at the Main Boulder Public Library and other locations. There is no admission fee, but attendees must register. For more information, confirmed speakers, and registration, visit jaipurliteraturefestival.org/boulder.

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