DAY ONE.....Jan 24th 2013
We awoke with feelings of excitement and a little apprehension... after all this Literature Festival has 300 writers and about 40,000 people were
going to be attending, with a big influx over the weekend as the 26th Jan is Indian Republic Day, a public holiday.
The day dawned warm and sunny and we left the hotel for the writers shuttle, in the charming company of Saleem Kidwai who is
the co-author of Same Sex in India: A literary History, as well as a translator of Urdu to English and a retired teacher of medieval history. We kept bumping into each other, and could only have quick chats about his interesting life.
We
arrived at Diggi Palace which was already bustling with people and bursting with colour. Wow, so many army guards because there has been quite a bit of controversy over the last few days about authors who read from Salman Rushdies controversional novel in
2012 and Islamic fundamentalist leaders were warning Festival organisers that if any of those authors were alowed to attend this year, there would be trouble. So we were a little nervy to be confronted by stick wielding soldiers, who turned out to be very
nervy themselves, but also very helpful.
We arrived too late to hear the opening Buddhist Chants by Drepung Loseling Monks, which was disappointing, but traffic was slow, and it was quite an exercise to enter the sites.
The
Diggi Palace is a beautiful old structure, which the Festival books out for the event. It is a hotel and is in great condition, combined with historical charm. I would love to have stayed on-site but rooms were all booked by Festival organisers.
There
were 5 main venues on the Diggi Palace site... The Char Bagh (new), The Front Lawns, the Google Mughal Tent, Baithak and the Counselage Durbar Hall. There is also a young adults workshop site. Surrounding the sites are Arts and Craft stalls,
bookshops, food vendors, educational stalls and admin sites.
There were so many interesting sessions to attend that it was very difficult to choose which ones to see. The following are brief synopses of those we saw.
The first session we attended
was the key-note address "O To Live Again" by the legendary feminist and peace activist Mahasweta Dewi. She is a best-selling and prolific author from Bengali who worked very closely with and for marginalised communities in India, who is now
90 years old. We were astounded by her address and her insight.
Our next session was held at the newly added site Char Bargh, where we firstly ran into William Dalrymple, who of course was rather preoccupied, and did not seem to remember us at all,
(which I attribute to the stress of the moment... haha) but he did get us here so it doesn't matter. Hats off to Will!!
We listened to Zoe Heller on Notes of a Scandal, her book and its resulting film, with Cate Blanchett and
Judi Dench. She is a very interesting person to listen to and said she was sick of hate-mail around her characters not being 'likeable enough', because in reality, not all people are likeable. She was mildly shocked that the moderator brought out that
her novels seem to predominantly have themes of adultery and death and the unknown facets of people we think we know well, or even intimately, our 'secret' selves". She has an obvious love of the English Classics (eg Little Women & Jane Austen) which she
believes are not as light and fluffy as the movie versions, but rather political and often self-serving within their historical context.
The next session was an In Conversation with Pico Iyer, moderated by Akash
Kapur,who is the author of India Becoming a New Yorker Best seller (2012), so the session was lively and engaging. Pico is a very quiet and self effacing man who spends his life over two locations: US and rural Japan. He has
an utter fascination and affinity to author Graham Greene, which he reveals to the reader in his latest book, The Man Within my Head. He believes that while Greene's protagonists may seem to ge raffish and raw, with tumultous relationships
with their religious faiths, they are ultimately redeemed by their acts of kindness and compassion. This he believes is the real dictum of faith as expressed by the Dalai Lama, who he has a very close and personal relationship with. Pico was staying in our
hotel and we got to chat with him briefly, but unfortunately didnt manage to get his book signed.
We then made our way to the Delegate and Writers area for lunch. All food was vegetarian and delicious, and it got quite warm and sunny. The tables
were crowded and noisy with animated conversations.
We had lunch with Wade Davis and his wife. Wade is an Explorer-in Residence at the National Geographic Society, a prolific author of 17 books with degrees in anthropology, biology
and received his PhD in ethnobotony, all from Harvard University. We bought his latest book, a huge chronicle Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest. We also caught up with Ashok Ferrey who we
met at the Sri Lankan Festival at Galle. A lovely fellow, with a beautiful smile, who was launching a new book and was not only a prominent speaker, but had big gigs as moderator with Vikas Swarup, Debbra Moggach etc.
The next
session was extremely popular- Kinships of Faith: Finding the Middle Way with H.H. Dalai Lama in conversation with Pico Iyer. Of course one could barely move but we could see and hear him, with his infectious laugh and his insistence that being
a religious person did not necessarily mean you were enlightened or good. Rather the path of kindness and compassionate behaviour, which added to the happiness and well-being of others ultimately gives the giver the same reward. He is a very intelligent and
approachable speaker who is very open to all kinds of religious and philosophical approaches on how to lead a fulfilled life.
The next session was a Tribute to Sunil Da who was a very prolific and a "formidable genius' in all forms
of literary pursuits. He recently passed away after being a past presenter at earlier festivals, and there were poetry and short story readings of his famous and controversial work. This session was moderated by the very famous Indian actress Shamila Tagore
and again introduced us to an artist who is adored here, but unfamiliar to us.
We followed this session with The Blind Man's Garden- In Conversation with the wonderful Nadeem Aslam. He is a very intense and humble speaker who seems
totally dedicated and in love with his craft of writing. His life before writing was not easy, losing both parents at a young age and trying to assimilate as a young Pakistani Immigrant in Yorkshire, England. He is a totally focussed and yet shy person who
apparently goes to great lengths to achieve authenticity in his protagonists lives. For example, because he was too shy to interview people with visual impairment for research in his latest novel, he taped his eyes and blindfolded himself for weeks at a time,
to feel a genuine empathy for the blind man in the novel. The moderator was so taken by him as a person and Nadeem was so self- effacing that we all fell in love with him. I purchased an earlier book, Maps for Lost Lovers, which was
long-listed for the Booker Prize. I hope to catch up for an autograph! (I did... !)
The final session we chose was a cracker- The Novel of the Future with Howard Jacobsen, Linda Grant, Zoe Heller, Lawrence Norfolk and Nadeem Aslam, moderated
Anita Anand. There was lively discussion about the fall of book sales, and yet ironically the rise of Literary Festivals, where Howard gave the impression that none of us read at all, we were groupies for writers.... ha I wouldn't know who he
was unless I read his books!) What annoyed the panel was how certain books with no real literary merit (Wonder which those books would be/) are by far and away the best- sellers, and the mourning of the new generation with their low interests in the classics
(short attention spans, internet, film etc). It was suggested that the novel is in a fine healthy state but readers make rather pathetic reading choices, so they are the problem. Nadeem didnt give a toss about marketing or offering an opinion except to say
he loved writing anyway and would continue in his craft regardless of others opinions and the session was left with his beautiful astute optimism.
By now it was dark and the sites were emptying. The traffic outside was chaotic and noisy. I received
some much needed help from a very lovely woman Vayu Naidu, who bases her work on oral storytellers of diverse traditions, and their relevance to our modern life, because they create powerful meaning and symbolism that is timeless. She certainly
was commited to my safety and care, and continued with us to the Music Festival and Dinner at Clarks Hotel. ( See above photo of us having lunch Day 2)
It was a bit of a nightmare for me as the shuttle was not allowed to drop me off, but she valiantly
made sure I was seated at front stage. We listened to wonderful tradtional Indian and Sufi music, and after an hour or so, realised the Delegate dinner was in a different area. We discovered a rather lavish affair near the pool, very stylishly set out,
with food and wine. Sanjoy Roy, a founding Director of the Festival kindly assisted me and welcomed me to the Festival.
We had a rollicking good night, with plenty of food, wine and music. Wow, what a busy first day... collapsed into bed with a mug
of Marriot marsala tea.
DAY 2 -Fri 25th Jan 2013
After a good nights rest, a huge breakfast and Sumit's personalised coffee, we made another foray from the Marriot to Diggi Palace. We got
there early and heard the sublime singing of the Buddhist nuns, before we went to Char Bargh for If you meet Buddha on the Road with Karma Ura, Siddiq Wahid, Ranjini Obeyeskere, Victor Chan in conversation with Nayanjot Lahiri. The answer?
Kill him! the meaning being that all his teachings are not black and white laws, but are open to interpretation, the principles being the more important aspects.
The next session was Laughing, Weeping, Writing with Manu Joseph, Mohammed
Hanif, Gary Shteyngart and Deborah Moggach moderated by Ashok Ferrey. This session was so funny and entertaining- each writer was very insightful as they commented on the comedy and pathos of their writing. Gary Shteyngart's recent novel Super
Sad True Love Story was an instant New York Times Best seller and he literally revelled in reading passages that were very drily 'Jewish humour, and self effacing. Deborah read from These Foolish Things' (The Best Exotic Marigold
Hotel.) Everyone was an excellent raconteur and the session was one of my favourites
This session was excellent as it showcased each writers extensive knowledge of literature from all countries and cultures, defining the enduring qualities that
make some literature ever-lasting and meaningful.
By now, the Palace was absolutely buzzing with people and every seat was filled. After sitting for well over 3-5 hours in Char Bargh, we gave up our precious seats and made our way through the colourful,
bustling crowds to the Delegate and Writers Eatery. Again we were surrounded by writers, and I caught up with Vayu (Photo). After another beautiful meal and great conversation, we decided to again plunge into sessions that were going to through us into the
very essence of Asian/Eastern literary culture.
We headed back to Char Bagh for What is a Ghazal? with Javed Akhtar, introduced by Sheniz Jammohamed. Dating back to the seventh century Persia, the ghazal has transmuted and flowered
in many languages. Javed is a huge literary star here, has won so many awards for literature, poetry and film. He is a master presenter, and had his adoring fans enthralled as he recited ghazals in Hindi and Urdu. He is apparently very funny, but as he spoke
mainly in these languages to the crowd, it was hard for us to follow, but his melodious, deep voice and body language had us spell-bound. Sheniz read her own ghazals in English and they were lovely.
Where to go next? It was around 330pm and despite
winter, the temperature was going up. We decided to again relinquish our precious seats and head for the shady gardens for some marsala tea and crowd- gaze.
We then went off to Counselage Durbah Hall to see On the Same Page, with
Ashok Ferrey who read from his new novel Serendipity and Anuja Chauhan with Those Pricey Thakar Girls. Ashok also read a very moving short story about the teerible tsunami that hit Acheh and Sri Lanka
about 5 years ago, from the Good Little Ceylonese Girl. We purchased Ashok's book, which he signed later on.
With lots of interesting sessions to go, we decided that we would try and beat the crowds, at 5 pm, as more and more poured
into the Festival... school students, young office workers... the crowd was swelling (dont forget, general admission was free). We got a shuttle back to the Marriot and I spent the next 5 hours sorting out material and photos for this Jaipur blog. We
had pizzas and tea in the room (B. slept) while I typed and listened to music far too long into the night.
DAY 3- SAT. 26TH JAN 2103
Republic Day--- a public holiday in
India so the traffic and streets were chaotic. Again the day bloomed from a silvery coolish morning to a hot, cloudless afternoon. Diggi Palace was in full swing by 930 am, and kept filling to bursting by the end of the day. We listened to the lone sweet
voice of a very young Buddhist nun, whose face glowed with serenity and decided to stay on The Front Lawns to listen to Kipling- with Charles Allen, Andrew Lycett and David Gilmour in conversation with Swapan Dasgupta. Well, this session
proved to be quite intense because all the speakers were biographical experts on Kipling, ranging from his boyhood, to late adult life. Apparently he wasn't a very consistent fellow and could be rascist and smug, then alternate with writings so enraptured
by India and its inhabitants, in love with the simplicity and graciousness of the exotic Eastern culture. General agreement thought Kim was his best book and all agreed the man was a conundrum. I am enthused to read Kim when I get home.
We stayed where we were, and clung to our seats, because the Front Lawns were swelling at an alarming rate with an influx of people who wanted to hear India: An Unbound Breakout Nation In Spite of the Gods?- Ruchir Sharma and Edward Luce in conversation
with Gurcharan Das. Apparently these guys are great sociologists and economists that have their finger on the pulse with what is now happening in India. After a huge surge of growth (9%) it has settled to around 5% and from what I gleaned the answer
lies in the continued growth of the middle classes, the decentralisation of government, the continued abolition of the caste system and gender issues (A Huge Topic throughout the Festival) if India is to progress and sustain itself. Sorry, thats about all
I could really digest!
The next session was back to something I could relate to, The Language of Literature with Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Ambai, Benyamin Daniel and Manil Suri in conversation with Udaya Narayana Singh. These
are all very distinguished writers from Indian languages such as Tamil, Malayalam and Gujarati who discussed the particular genius of their mother tongues. The session discussed metaphor and idioms, the commonality and differneces in subject, language and
themes and the impact of English and world literature. Manil Suri , who is a professor of mathmatics in the US,was known to me as the author of Death of Vishnu, The Age of Shiva and the City Of Devi because they are international best sellers,
written in English, but he certainly didnt dominate the session. The other authors are huge here.
Well, it was time to give up our seats and head for food and a drink. I caught up briefly with Tishani Doshi, and we found a shady table in the courtyard.
Again lots of interesting people to chat to, and discussions about sessions we hadn't got to. It is so difficult to choose, and today it is so crowded, one is lucky to find a seat.
After a quick lunch, we ploughed once again into the throngs and headed
for the Google Mughal Tent, an enormous colourful structure, Persian in style, to hopefully hear and see Persian Fire: The First Battle for the West with Tom Holland. Tom Holland is the author of Rubicon, Persian Fire and Millenium,all
of which explore dramatic moments in the history of ancient imperialism. In this session he was describing the very first clash of the East and West when in the 480 BC, King Xerxes of Persia clashed with the Greeks in Salamis. He claims that if the small army
of Greeks hadn't prevailed there would be no West. The venue was so full, we couldn't sit so eventually left this interesting session and decided to find a seat on the Front Lawns in readiness for Out of Africa, only to be swallowed up
by a swelling mob of humanity, trying to get through the entries. We could hear Sanjoy Roy pleading with the crowd to calm down. Apparently two events had happened: in a previous session, a speaker had quoted, or had misquoted a comment on corruption being
due to Dalit influences ( 1000 people had marched onto the site, with sticks) and there had been a venue switch.... a famous retired cricketer was launching his new book Corner of a Distant Playing Field. The crowds
were full of young adults, who were trying to climb over walls and break through the gardens, and the soldiers were trying to control the entries. Luckily, they allowed me through so I wouldn't be crushed, and I entered the pavillion to the roar of cheers
and jeers.. of course I didnt realise all this was happening.
Politics and cricket are huge here.
We finally escaped the venue and made our way to the Out of Africa session, which was really about the dubious
role of foreign aid in poor countries, none of which sounded very altruistic. Sorry, I was very tired by now and had lost concentration. It was around 5 pm and we were again swallowed up by singing and dancing. I had enough for one day and was carefully golf-buggyed
out by the fabulous young volunteers, put in a shuttle bus and got back to the Marriot around 6pm. As it was Republic Day, fireworks were lighting up the sky and the Music Festival at Clarks was in full swing. My mind was willing but the flesh was weak....
we decided to have a drink (Bombay Sapphire & 7 up) in our room (No alcohol for 2 days on Republic Day by law for Indians) and then had dinner at the all you can eat buffet at Okra.
I hate to say but that night I couldn't breathe, and coughed
most of the night.... the flu I came home with......