What to Expect When You’re Litfesting

The Jaipur Literature Festival 2015 in three acts

Act One: Twilight Zone
Even though his presence was uncertain till the last moment, if there was one person who set the mood at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), it was the 82-year-old Nobel laureate VS Naipaul. After an emotional reunion with his one-time friend-turned-foe, writer Paul Theroux, on the opening day, his session on the penultimate day of the festival saw the biggest turnout ever at the festival at nearly 5,000 people. The frail writer, who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, was in conversation with British writer Farrukh Dhondy.

“I don’t like to talk about sunsets,” Naipaul began. “It can be used against me to infer that I am in the sunset of my life. Unhappy metaphor,” he said. What he did talk about instead was his career — how writing was as “hard for me as it is for most people in the audience” — and the criticism he has faced for his three controversial books on India — An Area of Darkness (1964), India: A Wounded Civilisation (1977) and India: A Million Mutinies Now (1990). “I came to India first because of curiosity about my ancestral land. I didn’t know how to move in India, but eventually, I had to find my way,” he said, before breaking down. His wife Nadira, who accompanied him on stage, filled in about how Naipaul’s mother, who retained only one Hindi word in her vocabulary, told him, “Beta, leave India to the Indians” when he wrote The Area of Darkness.

Act Two: The Fandom
The book signing kiosks at the JLF saw fans of all stripes staking them out and it made for delightful eavesdropping opportunities. After a session on historical novels featuring South African writer Damon Galgut and Booker 2013 winner Eleanor Catton, and moderated by Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie, the few stragglers who turned up for the signing were greatly confused about the identity of the authors.

Catton was greeted by a pile of books written by Sarah Waters, who was supposed to be a part of the panel, but had to withdraw at the last moment because of a stomach infection. After her initial hesitation, the young author from New Zealand was sporting enough to oblige. At another session, Suhel Seth and a senior commissioning editor of a publishing house were accosted with signing requests. While Seth happily rose to the occasion, the bewildered editor beat a hasty retreat. The best, though, came in the serpentine queue to get books signed by Naipaul. A trio of teenagers waiting with books by former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam debated over Naipaul’s credentials.

“Never heard of him,” declared one. “Should we get a book (by him) from the store, just in case?” asked another. “Don’t bother. If he were famous like Kalamsaab or Devdutt Pattnaik, we would have heard of him,” quipped the leader of the trio.

Act Three: Quotes You Note
“Books are the love of my life, but Bollywood is my ‘half girlfriend’.” — Chetan Bhagat, on whether he prefers writing books to film scripts.

“Here’s my email address…It’s for autographs, photographs and answers.” — APJ Abdul Kalam, to the crowd at his session.

Story continues below this ad

“The term South Asia was invented in the state department of Washington DC, so I am the professor of a region that does not exist, except in the minds of UN officials and SAARC bureaucrats.” — Sheldon Pollock, on being asked why the Murty Classical Library of India was not called the Murty Classical Library of South Asia.

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More

📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram