Jaipur BookMark 2024: South Asia's Premier Publishing Conclave Celebrates Its 11th Year

New Delhi: As the Jaipur BookMark (JBM) gears up for its 11th edition, it stands tall as the premier B2B platform for the South Asian publishing industry. An integral part of the world-renowned Jaipur Literature Festival, JBM is a platform where books and business seamlessly intertwine. JBM is held concurrently with the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival and will run from 1st to 5th of February 2024.  

Over the past ten years, JBM has brought together the best of publishers, literary agents, editors, writers, translators, and booksellers under one roof. The platform has been the nerve centre for forging business relationships and fostering collaboration. 

Namita Gokhale, writer, publisher, and Co-Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “Jaipur BookMark continues to contribute to new synergies and exchange in the business of books. Our 2024 edition has seasoned speakers and attentive audiences from across India and around the world. We shall also be releasing our Rights Catalogue and be meaningfully asserting our belief in translations and world literature.” 

Sharing her views, Manisha Chaudhry, Director, Jaipur BookMark, said, “The JBM 2024 brings together a vibrant programme featuring some of the leading lights of the publishing industry. Mainstream publishers, iconic Indies from India and abroad and Indian language publishers rub shoulders to start new conversations and infuse old friendships with new vigour. We aim to have five days of book-love shaken well with book-business.”        

Key Highlights:  

*Advancing its commitment to translation and showcasing the rich diversity of Indian publishing, JBM will release the Rights Catalogue with over fifty titles from five different languages. 

JBM Rights Catalogue: This extensive catalogue, meticulously crafted by JBM, features a list of books in Indian languages and English from various publishers, showcasing their availability for rights’ sales. It carries detailed information such as cover thumbnails, book blurbs, author/translator details, pagination, and the status of rights available for sale. 

*Scanning the horizon of the future are sessions on AI and publishing, podcasts, and the growing closeness between publishing and OTT. 

*There are conversations focused on the achievements of stalwarts in Indian publishing, celebrating milestones that inspire a new generation.  

*Diverse sessions on educational publishing, little known stories of dictionaries, and the vivid world of children’s picture books. 

*JBM will also host an eclectic group of publishers from Germany, Spain, Nigeria, Maldives, Mauritius, USA, and the UK, in sessions that explore possibilities of collaboration across borders.  

As Jaipur BookMark celebrates a decade of influence, it continues to be a driving force in the world of publishing, propelling the business of books towards new frontiers. 

Programme Highlights: 

1. To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before: 40 years of Feminist Publishing in India  

Urvashi Butalia and Ritu Menon in conversation with Sivapriya R 

Veteran publishers Urvashi Butalia and Ritu Menon in conversation with Sivapriya R will speak about 40 years of feminist publishing in India.  

2. Sniffing the Future: AI and Publishing  

Meru Gokhale, Marcus du Sautoy, Charles Collier, Safir Anand in conversation with Amit Varma 

As AI storms into various aspects of our lives, publishing is no exception. What does the future hold with AI entering the domains of editing, translation, and audiobooks? How will AI impact legal contracts and the understanding of originality in IP? This session will attempt to read the new shapes on the horizon. 

3. The Language Toolbox: Lexicons, Dictionaries, Thesaurus 

Meeta Lall, Diana Mickevi?ien?, Oscar Pujol in conversation with Udaya Narayana Singh 

Lexicographers are unsung heroes who toil to expand the universe of languages. Translators, linguists, readers, and writers all owe them a huge debt. What drives them to take on this gargantuan task which is never finished? This session will answer these questions and more! 

4. Deep Connections: Podcasts and Books  

Amit Varma and William Dalrymple in conversation with Hemali Sodhi 

Podcasts bring a unique connection between voice and text. High-quality podcasts connect with listeners with an intimacy that fosters trust. How are podcasts making more listeners into readers?  This is a session that will examine the deepening symbiosis. 

5. Growing and How? Educational Publishing in India 

Atiya Zaidi and Neeraj Jain in conversation with Ananth Padmanabhan 

Educational publishing remains the commercial backbone of the Indian book industry. Some leading publishers will discuss the prospects of growth in the current policy environment and the implementation of the NEP. They will also explore areas of common interest between educational and trade publishers. 

6. Beauty and the Book 

Sunandini Banerjee, Ahlawat Gunjan, SveinStørksen in conversation with Priya Kapoor 

The book as an object of enduring beauty takes shape under the discerning eye of outstanding designers. An inspiring session where extraordinary talents will talk about their creative process and the outcome that we get to hold and cherish. 

7. The Alchemy of Bookselling 

Aakash Gupta, Ajay Jain, Aditi Maheshwari-Goyal, Vishal Pinjani, Priya Kapoor in conversation with Rahul Dixit 

A visit to a bookstore should open doors to a world of magic. Bookstore wizards speak for the fine art of curation and display. This is a session that will look at how booksellers expand the circle of readers. 

8. Taking Wing: Publishing across Borders  

Lena Luczak, Anna Katharina Fröhlich, Franziska Otto, Naveen Kishore, Shailesh Bharatwasi, Trisha de Niyogi, Annette Michael, Kannan Sundaram, Alvaro Enterria, Parminder Singh Shonkey, Milee Aishwarya, and Ravi Deecee in conversation with Arcopol Chaudhuri 

This session will invite publishers from India and abroad to share information about their eclectic lists. The perfect platform to start professional matchmaking and do better business across borders. 

9. Connecting Flights: Indie Publishing in the UK and India (supported by British Council) 

Gita Ramaswamy and Rosemarie Hudson in conversation with Ruchira Das 

The flourishing Indie publishing scene in the UK and India never ceases to surprise and delight, as it continues to throw up creative talents fearlessly treading new paths.  There is much fertile ground for ongoing exchange between Indie publishers from the two countries. 

10. Mirrors of the World 

Luise Braunschweig, Jan Karsten and Alvaro Enterria, Gabriella Page-Fort in conversation with Naveen Kishore 

Books signpost the zeitgeist of nations and seek out universalities across the world. Publishers from different countries will share what inspires them to grow their lists and what the future holds for reading communities. 

‘Friend of the Festival’ packages that offer an exclusive experience with special hospitality can be booked using this link:

https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/friendsofthefestival-registration

For further information on the Festival, please visit:  

https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/