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Jaipur Literature Festival expands its presence in the US
Houston, Sep 12 (IANS) The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) will be hosting a series of events – with headline authors as participants – in three cities across the United States, starting September 14 and ending on September 23.
The annual festival with its home in Jaipur will be hosting smaller editions in Houston and New York, apart from Boulder, where it has a presence for the last three year.
“With internationally acclaimed authors and thinkers taking part in a range of provocative panels and debates, at the core of programming are thoughts and issues that resonate with our times,” the organisers, Teamwork Arts, said about the Houston leg of the festival that opens on Friday evening, with events concluding on Saturday.
After a gap of five days, the festival will be held in New York on September 20.
The highlights include a musical performance by Indian Sufi singer Zila Khan; vigorous panel discussions revolving around the history, culture, religion, foreign policy and the great passion for cricket in India; talks around the Bard of Avon and Shakespearea�s greatest and most evocative work and a session engaging with bilingual writers, mother languages, and the joy of communicating the “Babylonian bedlama of New York City.
On September 21, the festival will return for its fourth edition at Boulder. It will feature more than 60 authors “to explore today’s hot topics while engaging the community in essential dialogue”.
It will feature 40 sessions on indigenous cultures worldwide; global warming, water and climate change; the geopolitical jigsaws, culture and identity of the trans-Himalayan belt; immigration, ethno-cultural politics and race; biographies and biographers; feminism, poetry, and the craft of storytelling, among others – across three days, the organisers said.
Participating writers, apart from organisers, Sanjoy Roy of Teamwork Arts, authors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, includes Shashi Tharoor, Kiran Desai, Sonal Mansingh, Sharmila Sen, Margo Jefferson, Navtej Sarna, Preti Taneja, Kurt Heinzelman, Lacy M. Johnson, McKenna Jordan, Rich Levy and Ruben Martinez, among others.
Jaipur Literature Festival is an annual literary event held in Jaipur in January and is widely attended.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.