NEW YORK CITY (TIP): JLF New York, produced by Teamwork Arts on September 10th and 11th, 2024, at one of the world’s most culturally alive cities, created a sort of history with the diversity of distinguished speakers and a variety of interesting subjects. The festival, which embodies the infectious energy of its mother ship, the iconic annual Jaipur Literature Festival, brought back its signature camaraderie, leading books and writers, and ideas and conversations that make it truly special. Held at prestigious venues including the Asia Society, The National Arts Club, The Center for Fiction, and Sundaram Tagore Gallery, JLF New York provided a rich tapestry of debates and dialogue, featuring an exceptional roster of speakers.

The speakers included Shashi Tharoor in conversation with Aroon Purie. The Indian writer, politician and Member of Parliament has authored over 22 books of fiction and non-fiction. Adept at thinking spontaneously and conversing on any subject, his wit and humor are capable of making the most unhappy and morose person come alive. Audience did get a fair share of “Tharoorism”.

Navdeep Suri, a distinguished diplomat and translator, recited in English “Khooni Vaisakhi”, his grandfather Nanak Singh’s searing ballad on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre while Vidya Shah sang parts of it in Punjabi.
Renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, celebrated for cinematic works like Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Bandit Queen, also graced the festival.

The line-up continued with Ruby Lal, Devika Rege, Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee dedicated to health and education advocacy in the Middle East, Tarun Tahiliani, famous fashion designer known for his fusion of Indian textiles, and Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts. The festival also featured Sree Sreenivasan, a digital innovation leader and president of the South Asian Journalists’ Association, and Mohit Satyanand, entrepreneur and investor.
The Consul General of India in New York Mr. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan inaugurated the festival at Asia Society on September 10, and felicitated Shashi Tharoor and Aroon Purie. In his remarks he appreciated the contribution of Jaipur Literature Festival in promoting art and literature.