“Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill.”
Words from Barbara W. Tuchman have perhaps summed up the essence of significant role played by literature in the development of any nation.
India is emerging as a prominent player in the international literature & publishing sphere. According to the data released by Federation of Publishers' and Booksellers' Associations of India in 2005, the vibrant publishing industry in India generates a turnover of approximately Rs 70 billion annually (Rs. 7,000 crores). Around 16,000 publishers in India publish 70,000 titles (estimated) out of which 40% are in English, which makes India the third largest English language publishing country in the world. Exports have grown from Rs 330 million in 1991 to Rs. 3,600 million in 2003.
Furthermore, as per the latest data released by Ministry of HRD the literacy rate has increased astonishingly to 72% in comparison to 12% at the time of British Rule in 1947. Increased literacy has boosted the publication industry to span its wings and fly to new heights.
In spite of all this remarkable developments, there lies a hearting fact in the heart of each of Indian that so far only one of our fellow citizens (Dr Rabindranath Tagore) got the prestigious noble prize for literature. However, Indian made an acceptable attendance in Man-Booker prize by winning it thrice.
Every year to celebrate the spirit of literature, many great personalities from literature, cinema & social arena pucker up at Jaipur. Every year in the month of January they all meet to mark the ceremony where the blue ink of literature blends with the pink color of Jaipur City.
The Jaipur Literature Festival is an annual literary festival taking place in the pink city of Jaipur since 2006.The Diggi Palace Hotel serves as the main venue of the festival. The Jaipur Literature Festival is the biggest literary festival not just in India, but in Asia, and was described by Miranda Seymour in the Mail on Sunday of the 10th August 2008 as "the grandest literary Festival of them all".
The festival is originally conceptualized by writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple.
In the last 5 years Jaipur Literature Festival has grew enormously both in terms of standards & visitors. Initial year of the festival saw meager attendees where only 18 writers had taken part including Hari Kunzru, William Dalrymple, Shobhaa De and Namita Gokhale.
Gradually after 2006, the festival has started to gather the acknowledgment of the literature fraternity of globe. In 2007 the festival grew in size and featured some the great writers like Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Suketu Mehta, Shashi Deshpande, and William Dalrymple.
In 2008 the festival continued to expand with about 2,500 attendees and the authors/speakers like Donna Tartt, John Berendt, Paul Zacharia, Indra Sinha, Uday Prakash, Christopher Hampton, Manil Suri and others.
In year 2009 , world saw remarkable growth in the paradigm of the festival when about 12,000 attendees and over 140 authors/speakers including Vikram Seth, Pico Iyer, Michael Ondaatje, Simon Schama & .Tina Brown took part in it.
The 2010 festival had about 30,000 attendees and 172 authors/speakers, including Geoff Dyer, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Jamaica Kincaid, Niall Ferguson and Vikram Chandra.
The 2011 edition of the festival has already begun with a splendid bang today at Diggi Palace, the official venue for the DSC Jaipur Literary Festival 2011. After the rhythmic rajasthani folk tune, the festival has been declared open by William Dalrymple. Talking to the jam packed Dalrymple said, “Jaipur Literary Festival shows the burgeoning cultural movement. Jaipur Literary Festival is the largest festival in the eastern half of the world. Its aim is to create an intellectual fusion, where greatest literary minds come together from twenty-three countries. This magnificent festival not only focuses on English, but also on various other languages.”
During the remaining 5 days, festival will show case the work of many writes/ speakers like JM Coetzee, Orhan Pamuk, Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Junot Diaz, Martin Amis, Jay McInerney and many more.
Ensure to book your seat in this mega event which is set to mark the stature of literature on the globe.
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