Jaipur Bytes

Writer, politician and public intellectual Shashi Tharoor is the award-winning author of 19 books of fiction and non-fiction. A third-term Member of Parliament, representing Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. Tharoor has served as Minister of State in the Government of India and also as Under-Secretary General of the United Nations. His unerring sense of humour lightens up the serious oeuvre of his work, which includes a powerful indictment of colonialism. His predilection for long words and telling phrases has created a sub-genre of #Tharoorisms, and his recent attempts at stand up comedy have won him a constituency of admirers. In conversation with Michael Dwyer, he speaks of the personal and the political, and the beliefs and ideas that have anchored him in his public life and literary career.

Lisa Ray, author of "Close to the Bone", in conversation with festival director Sanjoy K. Roy. Lisa Ray is one of India’s first supermodels, an actor, a mother of twins through surrogacy and a cancer-survivor. Her memoir is an unflinching and a deeply moving account of her nomadic existence, her mentors, friends, lovers, her healing and spiritual quest. In conversation with Jaipur Literature Festival producer Sanjoy K. Roy, she discusses her riveting life story.

In this podcast-exclusive, Host Lakshya Datta chats with Ján Tompkins about VRwandlung - an immersive experience, a virtual reality installation adapting Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis by the Goethe Institut. Recorded live at the #ZEEJaipurLitFest2020.

Actor and model Sonali Bendre Behl decided to rekindle her passion for reading by connecting with other like-minded readers. She established ‘Sonali’s Book Club’, an inspirational space to interact with book lovers from around the globe. Other bibliophiles and friends from the film industry joined in as she battled cancer in New York. An exciting and eclectic set of books come up for live-streamed readings and discussion, providing the community of readers and writers an online platform to interact. Bendre is also the author of The Modern Gurukul: My Experiments with Parenting. In conversation with Meru Gokhale, she speaks of her inspirational endeavour and what books and reading mean to her.

Ashwin Sanghi, author of The Vault of Vishu (part of the Bharat Series) in conversation with Jaipur Bytes host Lakshya Datta, recorded live at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2020 at the Diggi Palace on January 23.  Ashwin Sanghi ranks among India’s highest selling English fiction authors. He has written the bestsellers, The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, The Krishna Key, The Sialkot Saga and Keepers of the Kalachakra as well as two New York Times bestselling crime thrillers with James Patterson, Private India and Private Delhi. He has also co-authored several non-fiction titles in the 13 Steps series on Luck, Wealth, Marks, Health and Parenting.

Polyglot Prasoon Joshi is a poet, lyricist, author, advertising icon, screenwriter and CBFC chairman. In conversation with actor and theatre person Vani Tripathi Tikoo, he speaks of his ideas on culture, cinema and social narratives as well as his abiding love for classical music.

Filmmaker and author Nandita Das in conversation with Jaipur Bytes host Lakshya Datta, recorded live at the ZEE Jaipur LIterature Festival 2020 in Diggi Palace on January 23.  Nandita has acted in more than 40 feature films in ten different languages. Her directorial debut in 2008 was Firaaq, which won many accolades and appreciation in India and abroad. Manto, Nandita’s second directorial film premiered in 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival and travelled to many other festivals around the world. Her new book is called "Manto and I" and it is now available on Amazon and all bookstores.

Elizabeth Gilbert is the number one New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love as well as the short story collection Pilgrims, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award and winner of the 1999 John C. Zacharis First Book Award from Ploughshares. A Pushcart Prize-winner and National Magazine Award-nominated journalist, she works as writer-at-large for GQ. Her journalism has been published in Harper's Bazaar, Spin and The New York Times Magazine, and her stories have appeared in Esquire, Story and the Paris Review. Here she talks about her life in writing with her long-time friend and editor, Alexandra Pringle.

William Dalrymple, festival co-director of #JaipurLitFest2020 and author of "The Anarchy", in conversation with Jaipur Bytes host Lakshya Datta. In this podcast-exclusive, William talks to Lakshya about the year that has been, and why this year's programme is the festival's finest. 

Sanjoy K. Roy, Producer of Jaipur Literature Festival and Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, in conversation with Jaipur Bytes host Lakshya Datta. In this podcast-exclusive chat, Sanjoy talks to Lakshya about what you can expect from the festival in its 13th edition and the many ways you can experience it when it returns to the Diggi Palace in Jaipur from January 23 to 27, 2020. Learn more about this year's programme and the speakers at https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/