Sidelights: JLF 2026 opens with giant puppets but where is Kiran Desai
The jovial puppets were escorted by hulking camels of dinosaur proportions, and the wail of bagpipes (not the ones from the Scottish Highlands before one cries foul!).
They say everything’s bigger in Texas, the same is true for Rajasthan with its sprawling forts, deserts, and the opening act of its famous literature festival. The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF 2026) kicked off with giant katputlis (puppets) in full Rajasthani regalia, swaggering in on stilts, and welcoming guests with dance and song. Rubbing shoulders with a star-studded cosmopolitan guest list from across the world, they made it impossible to forget that one was in Rajasthan. The jovial puppets were escorted by hulking camels of dinosaur proportions, and the wail of bagpipes (not the ones from the Scottish Highlands, before one cries foul!).
Where’s Waldo, aka Kiran Desai
But the real headliner was the festival’s own version of Where’s Waldo? Or rather ‘Where’s Kiran?’By 11:30 am, the hall was crammed to the rafters. All for Kiran Desai, Booker-winning author, who is famously elusive. The printed schedule (₹30, non refundable!) promised her at high noon.
Noon struck. No Kiran. Instead, the audience listened politely as speeches continued, one by one by the organisers and then the Chief Minister himself, while whispers rippled through the crowd as the seconds ticked and schedules were checked with increasing agitation. Eventually, word spread that Desai’s session had been moved to 3 pm, according to the online programme. There was mild disappointment, some confusion, and one consolation: at least the Chief Minister got to address a standing-room-only hall, an honour many novelists might envy.
But the main event in literary hide-and-seek was reserved for Percival Everett. His name had been nestled among the stars, a major coup! The author of James, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning retelling of Huckleberry Finn, that had everyone talking about race, identity, and American irony. The literati, a proactive bunch, scrambled. Copies of James were ordered for friends and family, prepped for signing, ready to be touched by the hand that rewrote a classic. But, then news broke out about him not attending the festival. The whispers turned from “Where’s Kiran?” to “Who erased Everett?” The eventual, underwhelming reveal was that Everett was supposed to come to Jaipur, but had pulled out, it was unclear why and when.
Aishwarya Khosla is a key editorial figure at The Indian Express, where she spearheads and manages the Books & Literature and Puzzles & Games sections, driving content strategy and execution. Her extensive background across eight years also includes previous roles at Hindustan Times, where she provided dedicated coverage of politics, books, theatre, broader culture, and the Punjabi diaspora.
Aishwarya's specialty lies in book reviews and literary criticism, apart from deep cultural commentary where she focuses on the complex interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She is a proud recipient of The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections. This fellowship required intensive study and research into political campaigns, policy analysis, political strategy, and communications, directly informing the analytical depth of her cultural commentary.
As the dedicated author of The Indian Express newsletters, Meanwhile, Back Home and Books 'n' Bits, Aishwarya provides consistent, curated, and trusted insights directly to the readership. She also hosts the podcast series Casually Obsessed. Her established role and her commitment to examining complex societal themes through a nuanced lens ensure her content is a reliable source of high-quality literary and cultural journalism.
Write to her at aishwaryakhosla.ak@gmail.com or aishwarya.khosla@indianexpress.com. You can follow her on Instagram:
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