New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS): Ten shortlisted writers will be invited to attend the Jaipur BookMark (JBM) January 22 to 25, 2020, that runs parallel to the JLF to "not just to undergo mentorship but also individually pitch their work to national and international experts from the industry, with a chance to even sign a book deal," the organisers said.
The selection panel will include publishers, literary agents and writers, amongst others.
Literature festivals, that capture the interest of millions today, have not remained isolated from providing a space to new writings. In January 2017, JBM launched the 'First Book Club', a mentorship programme for first-time writers, which was repositioned as the ‘iWrite' mentorship initiative to include all aspiring authors with unpublished manuscripts sitting in their heads or on their computers. It is a platform for storytellers, poets and literary enthusiasts to tell their stories and be mentored by experts in the field if shortlisted.
"After a very successful first edition ‘iWrite' is back to inspire literary aspirants into its fold. We invite entries ranging from short stories and poetry to works of long fiction and non-fiction from published and unpublished writers across the country. The shortlisted participants will get a platform to share their work and receive constructive guidance from international publishers, literary agents, translators and other industry experts in a pitching session at Jaipur during JBM through the platform," the organisers said.
"All of us have a story to tell. iWrite helps give voice to aspiring writers, inspires them to grow and evolve and develop their craft. It's an important platform to nurture talent and take the narrative forward," JBM Director and JLF co-founder Namita Gokhale said.
JBM Co-director Neeta Gupta said: "We are delighted with the response the iWrite initiative has received from writers and poets across India. We are keen to take this to a bigger platform this year so that the shortlisted authors get a true sense of being a part of the 'greatest literary show on Earth'."
The iWrite shortlist will be announced on December 15 on the JBM website.