DW BUREAU / Jaipur Global issues like climate crisis, geopolitics, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Indo-China relations, agriculture, and energy will be discussed at the 16th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival scheduled to take place from January 19-23, said Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts, the producer of the annual literature festival, while addressing a press conference at the Clarks Amer Hotel, the official venue for the event, here on Tuesday. "The festival will host a few of the greatest literary minds, including Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah; International Booker Prize recipient Geetanjali Shree; author and translator Daisy Rockwell; author Deepti Kapoor; Booker Prize winning author Bernardine Evaristo; author Siddharth Mukherjee; Booker Prize winning Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka; celebrated poet, lyricist and author Gulzar; filmmaker and producer Onir; winners of 2022 JCB Prize for Literature Khalid Jawed and Baran Farooqi; and classical musician Hariprasad Chaurasia, among others," Roy said. Also, the literary extravaganza will display 21 Indian and 14 international languages. The speakers' list includes a large number of Rajasthan-based personalities, namely C.P. Deval, Nand Bhardwaj, Rima Hooja, Malchand Tiwari, Sandeep Purohit, Tripti Pandey, Devraj Singh, Ambika Dutt, Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Anshu Harsh, Era Tak, Anukriti Upadhyay, Diya Kumari, and C.P. Joshi, among others, Roy said. "Jaipur Literature Festival spreads and proliferates discerning debate and knowledge, presenting different perspectives on the complex issues of our times. In 2023, the festival will focus on themes such as climate crisis, geopolitics, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Indo-China relations, agriculture, and energy. "The festival will continue to remain committed to its core values: To serve as a democratic, non-aligned platform ensuring inclusivity and freedom of speech. The past 15 editions have seen the iconic festival transform into a global literary phenomenon, having hosted nearly 5,000 speakers and artistes, reaching out to over 200 million people globally," Roy said. (editor@dailyworld.in)