A couple of years ago, at the annual Jaipur literature Festival (JlF), when the producer, Sanjoy Roy, came across a shabbily dressed pair of father and son he went up to them and asked what were they up to. The older man revealed that he was a beggar who would sleep on footpaths and “I know that I cannot send my son to school or buy him a book but if he heard a story it may change his life forever and I hear that you tell stories here so that is why we are here,” recounted Roy. Incidents like these are why Roy has always maintained that the JlF would always be a free literature festival, essentially, one of the largest all-time.
Recently, his plans for a US chapter of the JlF saw fulfilment in its first ever appearance in the States, as the JlF is now scheduled to hold a three-day long event at Boulder, Colorado. last year, the JlF had become the first of its kind, by putting together an event overseas, when it organised a two-day teaser at Southbank, london and now even this has developed into an annual event, in May this year Southbank, london held its second JlF event.
Though Roy had not worked out the details, he was intent on holding the JlF in America for a while and was in talks with various organisations from New York to Chicago and New Orleans, Seattle et al. “Then one day I received a pitch from three enthusiastic residents of Boulder; Jessie Friedman of the Naropa Institute, Jules B levinson, an expert on Buddhist studies and Maruta Kalnins, a regular guest of the JlF at Diggi Palace, Jaipur. Though I was convinced by their fabulous pitch, I acted a bit incredulous and asked them where is Boulder, anywayIJ” laughed Roy. As he was in the States at that time, Roy decided to drop by and discovered that it was at a comfortable one hour drive away from the Denver airport. He arrived at Boulder to find a picturesque city nestled next to the Rocky Mountains, with its iconic rock formations called flatirons captivating him. The Boulder Creek flows through the designated venue. Boulder is described as one of the most literate and liberal cities in the States and the tsunami of good will which Roy received from enthusiastic citizens with respect to the interest shown in hosting the JlF in their city, convinced him.
JlF, Boulder will include a focus on Native American, latino American, African American, Asian, American and regional literature with influential partners from academic quarters, the Naropa Institute (primary partner) and the Boulder library Foundation to handle the intricacies, the JlF has scheduled its stay in Boulder from September 18 to 20. With some novel activities like trekking in the Rockies and cycling in its country locations amongst its schedule, the event is supposed to be a mostly outdoors and a little bit of indoors events mix of the permorming acts with music still forming an integral part of the event.
“We are not trying to recreate the Indian JlF at Colorado, though the format is not so different, our itinerary there mostly concentrates on the vast diversity in literature and we have supported that by including a huge, meaty line-up of renown writers which includes numerous Indian authors,” added Roy. Though the JlF was always prominent in the international literature circuit, it is with its overseas ventures that it is gaining influence. But Roy thinks that the international extension festivals cannot and will not replace the JlF at Diggi Palace. “The experience of JlF at Colorado or london will never replace the experience of coming to India to attend the mother festival, the ‘original’ Kumbh of literature festivals, the Jaipur literature Festival,” he maintained.