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NewsNotes from JaipurFestival Director Jo Steffens travelled to India recently for the Jaipur Literature Festival. Below are some of her notes and photos from the experience.
The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) has exploded since its inception 6 years ago into the biggest literary festival in Asia. About 100 people attended the first year and festival director, William Dalrymple has been quoted as saying many "appeared to be tourists who had simply got lost.” That is no longer the case as this year an estimated 120,000 festival goers descended on the venue at Diggi Palace. When I first heard about the extraordinary growth and buzz around the JLF I was determined to see it firsthand and apply what lessons I could to WordFest. The festival was dominated by the hullaballoo around Salman Rushdie’s non-appearance. Rumours of assassins from Mumbai; authors fleeing the country, and marauding religious extremists made headlines around the world. Rushdie’s second non-appearance via Skype was turned into a cliffhanger that seemed to overshadow the wealth of events at the festival. The authors at the festival comprised an eclectic mix and the presentations and discussions were lively. I have never witnessed such impassioned dialogue and the audience members had great questions, creating a wonderful atmosphere of inclusivity. Highlights for me were Jamaica Kincaid and Lionel Shriver’s contrarian inclination to say whatever was on their mind. Ben Okri and Michael Ondaatje were eloquent and profound, Tom Stoppard and Mohammad Hanif were humble and hilarious and the feminist-tinged program featuring a new adaptation of The One Thousand and One Nights was one of my favourites. The beauty of the JLF is that it is free to everyone and it is a real extravaganza thanks to Teamwork Productions. - Jo Steffens (Photos clockwise: the entrance for JLF, Afternoon tea for festival goers, Hari Kunzru responds to the Rushdie scandal, Michael Ondaatje sits in on a panel, A crowd gathers - amongst soldiers - to watch Rushdie on Skype.)
Volunteer Reader ProgramWordFest is now seeking volunteers to read books from our 2012 submission library. Volunteer Readers often get to see new books months before they are released and their reviews help Festival staff to manage the large volume of publisher submissions. The library includes Fiction, Poetry and Non-fiction.
For more information, please contact Artistic Associate Anne Logan at alogan@wordfest.com or 403.237.9068. Upcoming EventsCelebrate Freedom to Read Week with the WGA and WordFest
On the Radar...
Between the Lines BlogRead the latest post on Between the Lines, WordFest's official blog, or relive the festival through the 30+ posts on the 2011 Festival. WordFest and TessituraWe are proud to introduce you to Tessitura, a complete ticketing system designed with you in mind. In 2010, WordFest joined other performing arts companies in the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts in a ticketing consortium. To learn more about the consortium and Tessitura, visit wordfest.com or call 403.237.9068. |
We're Hiring!WordFest is currently looking for a book lover to join our team in the role of Book Rapport/Festival des mots Manager. This position develops and administers the youth and the French programs of WordFest. This is a bilingual, full-time, permanent position. View the job listing! Around TownFrench Africa Variety Showcase - Afrikadey! Black History Month Calgary Poetry SLAM! and Youth Slam
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