The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Drukyul Literature and Arts Festival, scheduled to take place from August 2 to 4, will introduce several new features this year. Among the highlights is the launch of the Jigme Singye Wangchuck (JSW) Prizes, which will be awarded for the first time starting next year, and the Bhutan Echoes app, which will be launched soon this July.
The JSW Prizes aim to become the most prestigious honours for arts and literature in Asia. The two awards are the JSW Prize in Literature, which will recognise a lifetime of achievement or an extraordinary body of work by a writer of Asian origin, and the JSW Prize in Arts, which will honour major contributions in the visual, performing, or multidisciplinary arts by an artist of Asian origin.
The prizes are rooted in the values of Gross National Happiness and honour the selflessness and wisdom of His Majesty the Great Fourth. They will be conferred by Her Majesty Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, whose involvement as a patron brings national and cultural significance to the awards.
Another new feature this year is the launch of the Bhutan Echoes App. The app will allow users to rewatch festival sessions and provide feedback to the speakers. It is designed to keep audiences engaged with the festival throughout the year.
The festival will also see ten book launches. These include titles such as The Tale of Two Ravens by Eugene Bay, Country Before Self by Thakur S Powdyel, Riding into the Sunset by Tshering Wangchuk, Dream Blanket by Simi Nallaseth and iBest, and Monkey King and Dragon Tales by Tharchen and iBest.
Other books include The Dragon Economy: An Experiment with Happiness by Professor Sanjeev Mehta, Walking My Destiny: A Bhutanese Woman’s Story by Phub Zam, Drukpa Kunley: Sacred Tales of a Mad Monk by Needrup Zangpo, and Telling Me My Stories by Kunzang Choden.
Three books of Dasho Kunzang Wangdi will be launched and these are Growing Up with the Modern Bhutan, The Kingdom of Bhutan: The Democratic Constitutional Monarchy and Innovations for Successful Societies: Election Commission of Bhutan.
This year’s festival will feature a total of 88 speakers. Of these, 36 are from Bhutan and 52 are international speakers. The programme will include 32 sessions, two film screenings, eight workshops, ten book launches, and participation from 14 nationalities.
