I was very grateful to be invited to attend the 18th Jaipur Literature Festival from January 29th to February 3rd, following my work translating Namita Gokhale's new novel, originally titled in English as 'Never Never Land,' into Hindi. The novel has been re-titled in Hindi as 'जाग तुझको दूर जाना,' which essentially means "Awake, you have to go far."
I am deeply grateful to the Faculty for supporting my attendance at the Jaipur Literature Festival. Participating in this festival was an incredible privilege that allowed me to engage with prominent figures in the Indian literary community and connect with esteemed writers from the UK, such as Andrew O'Hagan, Christopher de Bellaigue, Jane Ohlmeyer, and Lindsey Hilsum.
During the festival, I presented my paper on the evolving nature of Hindi in contemporary India, focusing on the challenges that digital media poses for the Hindi language. The presentation sparked insightful discussion about the relevance of Hindi in a modern and connected India, and was well received by attendees. Additionally, I shared my experiences translating English literary works into Hindi, highlighting the unique challenges involved - especially when translating language which is very rooted in western, Gen-Z focused culture.
I also led a session on the issues around publishing smaller magazines in India and the UK, featuring contributions from notable figures such as Ashok Maheshwari and Jaiprakash Pande. The bilingual nature of the discussion (which took place in Hindi and English) presented several challenges as I was moderating dialogue between speakers who either only spoke Hindi or English and translating between the two. However, the audience remarked that they enjoyed the balanced discussion in both Hindi and English, which I was pleased to hear.
Another highlight was moderating a session with several talented Hindi and English poets from India. This engaging discussion showcased creative expression in both languages and happily, proved to be one of the festival's most successful sessions, with a packed audience who engaged in a dynamic Q&A, as well.
The festival attracted notable personalities from the Indian film and theatre industry, including the celebrated actor, director and writer Manav Kaul. I was asked to interview Manav, and it was brilliant to discuss his influences when writing including Indian theatre and Spanish flamenco dance. The audience here was markedly younger, showing the importance of debate on Hindi language and culture for younger generations too.
Overall, my participation in the Jaipur Literature Festival emphasised the crucial role that Hindi plays in bridging cultural and linguistic divides across the subcontinent and beyond. This experience reinforces the value of our Faculty's commitment to fostering expertise in the languages of India, and allows us as a Faculty to ensure that our academic work and expertise is brought to a wider and more diverse global audience.