Jaipur Literature Festival debuts in Spain

Madrid: On a rain-soaked Thursday evening in the Spanish capital, thousands of kilometres away from the city of its origin, the Jaipur Literature Festival began with an aim to create a platform to explore Spanish writing.

JLF Valladolid Spain, which is being held in the northwestern city, will bring together an array of writers, thinkers, artists, and poets to engage in stimulating dialogues and conversations on subjects ranging from fashion and design, history, visual art to literary fiction and poetry.

The 10th international extension of the literary festival aims to become a bridge between the diverse and vibrant literatures of Spain and India.

Talking at the opening ceremony, Indian ambassador to Spain Dinesh K Patnaik said that both the countries share similar diversities.

A literary grouping of English, Spanish and Indian language is something we are really keen on. We are also looking at Indian diversity, Spain has the same diversity. Every 100 miles in Spain also is a different country, and yet it's Spanish.

So we are very similar. Similar thoughts, similar family values, we love music, we love children. So if you put it all together, we have something very unique, the ambassador said.

Over the course of three days, the literary event will host Spanish and Indian writers, scholars, diplomats, musicians and actors including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, writers Vikram Chandra, Deepti Kapoor, Oscar Pujol, Agustin Paniker and Pallavi Aiyar, poets Ranjit Hoskote and Raquel Lanseros, foreign affairs expert Ana Palacio, and Portuguese politician Bruno Macaes.

Why should JLF be in Spain? Primarily, for us, it is really a discovery of a Spanish speaking world. This is our first offering in Europe. For us, it is really an entry into a language that we in India are not necessarily familiar with. Despite the language's incredible push to get everybody to learn Spanish, we are still ignorant about the writers from your part of the world, said Sanjoy K Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts.

The event will also be attended by Indian singers Usha Uthup, Vidya Shah, actor Kabir Bedi, and Kutle Khan Project, along with Spanish musicians such as German Diaz, Raul Olivar Flamenco Trio, Pablo Oliva and dancer Monica de la Fuente. The festival will come to a close on June 4.