Words Are Bridges: This new initiative explores the brilliance of Indian literature in local languages

The first series of eight conversations will showcase eminent writers and noteworthy translators across languages such as Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, Punjabi and Kannada.

With the aim to celebrate the fascinating diversity of languages from India and the literature they spawn, Teamwork Arts, producer of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, recently launched its new online literary initiative called Jaipur Literature Festival – WORDS ARE BRIDGES. Started on July 2, the series (which has been curated in partnership with HarperCollins India and will be telecast every Thursday) will host sessions that feature readings in Indian languages followed by English translations and conversations between the writers and translators. The sessions will be telecast simultaneously on all official social media handles of Jaipur Literature Festival, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The first series of eight conversations will showcase eminent writers and noteworthy translators across languages such as Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, Punjabi and Kannada. “We are excited to present our new digital platform, Jaipur Literature Festival – WORDS ARE BRIDGES. At the Jaipur Literature Festival, we have always affirmed and showcased the many languages and proud literary traditions of India. This important initiative looks at the act of translation as mediation between languages and cultures, time and place. India’s unique literary landscape, with its rich diversity and staggering multi-linguality, will be explored through a fascinating series of sessions that bring together writers, translators and commentators,” says Namita Gokhale, writer and co-director, Jaipur Literature Festival.

Sanjoy K Roy, managing director, Teamwork Arts, adds, “Stories connect us to a notion of home and culture. In India, our vast linguistic diversity with over 23 official languages and hundreds of dialects are bound together by common threads of philosophy and tradition. The initiative celebrates this rich narrative diversity of a region in a series of sessions.”