Second Annual Jaipur Literature Festival at Boulder Celebrates Opening Day
By: Liz Cearns Sep. 23, 2016
The Jaipur Literature Festival at Boulder kicks off its second annual event today, featuring more than 50 sessions with world-renowned authors, speakers and musicians from across the globe. The Festival is set to bring a glimpse of what's been dubbed 'the greatest literary show on Earth' to the Flatirons of Boulder, Colorado.
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.
JLF at Boulder takes place at the Main Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. There is no admission fee and attendees can register on site. For more information and a complete program, visit https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/boulder.
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).
The JLF at Boulder program includes The Treasures of the Dragon Kingdom (Saturday 10:45am), 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. John W. Hickenlooper, the Governor of Colorado, has proclaimed ?September 24, 2016 as "JLF at Boulder and Her Majesty The Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck Day."
Other Saturday and Sunday Session Highlights Include:
-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. Robert Blackwill in conversation with Marie Brenner.
- 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.
-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.
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, What's your Story? Creating Collage Art That Tells a Story, The Sound of Music/Sunaad, Stories in Motion, and The Resistance and Resilience of Heartwork.
This year's festival is not just indoors -- there will be lots of activity outside as well. The Poetry Tent, an entertainment venue for local artists, will feature planned and extemporaneous performances all day on Saturday and Sunday. The Poetry Tent is located in the Pooh Garden, adjacent to the library's south side.Six local non-profits and six local artists will be exhibiting in tents located around the concrete plaza located outside the North Entrance (9am-6pm). Food trucks Zeal, BVSD's Munchie Machine and Tacos del Norte will be available nearby (west end of the Canyon parking lot) from 11am-3pm each day. Art displays will also be located on the south side lawns, with lawn games available for the young at heart.
About Jaipur Literature Festival
In its 9th year, ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 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. Festival directors include world-renowned writers and publishers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, and it is produced by Sanjoy K. Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts.
About Teamwork Arts
For over 25 years, Teamwork Arts has taken India to the world and brought the world to India. Each year, Teamwork produces 26 annual festivals in 30 cities across 12 different countries, including Australia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the UK and USA. Teamwork produces one of the world's largest free literary gatherings, the annual ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, international festivals Shared History in South Africa, Eye On India in the United States and India by the Bay in Hong Kong, and many more.
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