Friends,

Many of you have been asking me about upcoming the upcoming Jaipur Literature Festivals, in USA and in India.

First, I want to say that JLF India is an amazing experience, well worth the time, expense and effort. You will meet world-famous authors as well as young talent there, along with music and dance performances, in a magical historic city. Last year, over 450 writers spoke at this event, and over 100,000 people attended it. I was honored to be invited to present my new novel, Independence. Later, I was delighted to learn that it was the #1 Bestselling fiction title of the festival!

DIVAKARUNI DISCUSSES *INDEPENDENCE* WITH WRITER AANCHAL MALHOTRA AT JAIPUR LIT FEST 2023

If you have not read the novel, it is the story of three sisters who navigate the exciting and turbulent 1940s in India, when the country was battling to free itself from the British yoke. My heroines learn about love, heartbreak, and what it takes to follow their dreams. They learn the price that one must pay for independence—both as a nation and as an individual. I wove into this historical novel several family stories told to me by my mother and my grandfather.

For those who would like to get the book, buying links are below.

AMAZON (USA) BOOKSHOP AMAZON (INDIA)

The dates for the upcoming Jaipur Literature Festival in India are February 1-5, 2024. Please note that hotels in the area get booked well in advance. To learn more about the festival, to register to attend, to and watch videos of past events, go to their website.

For those of you in USA who love literature but can’t make it all the way to Jaipur, no worries! JLF will be presenting wonderful programs in 2023 in New York (Sept 11-13), Houston (Sept 15-16) and Boulder, Colorado (Sept 21-23). Yes, they have invited me to present Independence at all three venues, so if you are in the area, please come and say hello.

DIVAKARUNI AFTER HER EVENT AT THE NATIONAL ARTS CLUB, NEW YORK, 2022, WITH HUSBAND MURTHY AND SURAJ DHINGRA, JLF ORGANIZER AND TEAMWORK ARTS VICE PRESIDENT

Please consider supporting JLF, a wonderful nonprofit that continues to bring readers and writers together and promotes literacy, free speech and the love of reading across the world. Donation details are on their website.

Be well. Keep reading. And thanks for your support of my work.

Chitra

Hello, Friends!

I'm delighted to share with you the news that my new novel, Independence, has been optioned for a film by Temple Hill Entertainment. It's a long way, though, between an option and an actual film, so please send the book some good-luck wishes!

Both Amazon (USA) and Amazon (India) currently have Independence on a special sale, 43% off in USA and 35% off in India. I'm passing on the information in case you--or any of your friends--are interested. Here are the links:

Amazon (USA) and Amazon (India)

You probably noticed that the covers in the two countries are very different. It is always a mystery to me as to why a certain publisher designs a particular cover. If you have any ideas, let me know!

Which of these covers is your favorite?

I was invited by Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia to give the 2023 Jagdish Sheth Lecture in Indian Studies--a big honor. They asked me to speak about Independence and the Freedom Struggle in India, including my own family's involvement. Here is the link to the talk.

For the event, I wore a kantha embroidered saree. (The same one in the photo below, which I wore at the inauguration for the novel at Jaipur Literature Festival.) This particular folk art is important in the novel and enables my heroines to survive when the family falls on hard times.

Of special interest to Book Club members: The Reading Guide for Independence, with discussion questions, is now available here, on the HarperCollins site. I hope you like it and find it helpful.

The audiobook of Independence is now out. You can listen to a sample here.

I was also invited to be the keynote speaker at the Akshaya Patra fundraiser in Boston. It was a big honor--and we raised a good amount of money to feed midday meals to schoolchildren in India. In many families, this meal is the main reason why children are allowed to remain in school rather than being put to work at a young age. You can find more information on Akshaya Patra here. An added bonus: I met many fans at the gala. Below is a photo with three sisters. Thanks to Anu Chitrapu for the photo.

I love seeing photos of readers with my books, so please send them to me on Facebook or Twitter, and let me know if you are OK with me re-posting them.

And finally: Parenthood. A topic that I find endlessly fascinating and love exploring in my books. There's so much complexity in that relationship. So here's a poem for all of you parents--and all of you who are children. (I guess that covers everyone!) I hope you enjoy it.

Goodbye until next time, and please keep in touch over social media. I am on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and I love hearing from my readers.

Chitra

Blog: Amazing Things