Jaipur Literature festival set to travel to London this May

New Delhi: The vibrant energies of the annual Jaipur Literature Festival, which attracts over 250,000 visitors annually in India, are set to travel to London this May for a day-long edition of the literary extravaganza.

Partnering with South Bank Centre for their annual festival of South Asian culture 'Alchemy', Jaipur Lit Fest will bring a creative group of writers and thinkers, poets and balladeers to UK on May 18.

Alchemy, which will run from May 15-26, celebrates art and culture of countries of the Indian subcontinent and their relationship with the United Kingdom.

In true Jaipur Literature Festival fashion, the day will begin with music and finish with a debate. A day ticket will be available to allow visitors to sample an incredible range of talks in the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

With a range of talks scheduled on topics including The Great Indian Metropolis', 'Myth and Memory',' Bollywood via London', 'Sunset on Empire' and 'Who will rule the World?', the intellectual and creative flavours of the literary jamboree are set to be witnessed in London.

"We can't wait to show London a little taste of the energy, colour and literary brilliance, which has brought this about. At the Southbank Centre, some of our greatest contemporary writers and thinkers will bridge cultural, geographical and historical divides, taking our audiences on a journey right across the globe," said Festival Co-Director William Dalrymple.

"For the fifth anniversary year of Alchemy, we are hosting the Jaipur Literature Festival as it visits the UK for the first time. The Jaipur Literature Festival is one of the largest, greatest and most innovative literature festivals in the world and to welcome it to the Southbank Centre as part of Alchemy is a real privilege," Jude Kelly, Artistic Director, Southbank Centre said in a statement here.

Started in 2006 with only 18 authors, the Jaipur Literature Festival has grown to become the largest free literary festival in the world, with close to 250,000 visitors annually.

Previous participants include Dalai Lama, Amartya Sen, Oprah Winfrey, Vikram Seth, Jhumpa Lahiri, Tash Aw, VS Naipaul, Taiye Selasi, Reza Aslan, Orhan Pamuk, Jung Chang, Jonathan Franzen and JM Coetzee.

"Within India, Jaipur Literature Festival, has grown to become a cultural catalyst, a colourful carnival of books, ideas and music we are excited to be bringing this energy and some of our region's finest writers to London audiences this May, extending the reach of the Jaipur Literature Festival across the globe," Festival co-director Namita Gokhale said.

With a range of both ticketed and free events - from concerts by music stars to a food market in Southbank Centre Square, free fashion shows in the foyers to DJs spinning their discs alongside the River Thames - the site will come alive with the energy and vividness of work from and inspired by South Asia.