Writer and politician Shashi Tharoor launched Namita Gokhale’s Jaipur Journals on the second day of the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival 2020.
The book, set against the backdrop of the Festival, chronicles the 'inspirations and heartbreaks of being a writer' through several stories.
As bestselling author Shunali Khullar Shroff put it in her opening remarks, Jaipur Journals is meta-fiction - literature about literature.
Speaking at the occasion, Gokhale, who has eighteen works of fiction and non-fiction to her credit, said that the idea for the book came to her from an American friend who has never been to the Festival.
The book, she opined, would give readers insight into the event, both onstage and behind the scenes.
In the past, Gokhale has worked extensively on the mythology genre. Her retelling of the Mahabharata as well as her young adult novel, Lost in Time: Ghatotkacha and the Game of Illusions are notable.
Her debut novel, Paro: Dreams of Passion remains popular till date.
Writer and politician Shashi Tharoor said that he had first heard Namita Gokhale in the BBC World series discussing her first book Paro.
He said that he had known Gokhale as a writer for about two decades before she became associated with JLF.
Calling the book a "celebration of the festival of writers, of participants, of the audience", Tharoor also expressed his happiness at seeing himself mentioned in the book in a "charming" scene.
Gokhale who is a Festival director is also the founder and co-director of Mountain Echoes and the Bhutan Literature Festival. She is also a director of Yatra Books, a publishing house that specialises in translation.
