Literary Fests in India

Is India Reading ?

Reading habit in India has come of age, considering one lakh and a half footfalls at the Jaipur Literary Festival 2015.  Litfests in the country are the new genre of festivals gaining momentum over the last few years.  Every other city boasts of an art/lit fest,   Apeejay  Kolkatta Literary Festival, the Mussourie Writers’  Festival, the Hay Festival  and Bookaro, to name a few.  Is it a passing fad or a lasting phenomenon and has the common man become an avid reader?  These are questions which spring forth, but going by the mere 10000-sold mark for a book to become bestseller in India , the story needs to be  investigated.

I was a delegate at the Goa Art/Lit festival . Into its fifth year, the Intenationa l Center  Goa  was beehive of activity for four days last December.  Book launches, regional  and global voices, food and translations, culture and politics found centrestage at the fest.  The mood of discussions and debates propelled me to continue the experience and I found myself part of the burgeoning crowd of intellectual elite at the Jaipur Literary Festival.  It was hosted at the Diggi Palace within the heart of the Pink City. Readings were held simultaneously at six venues (lawns and halls) of the palace.  What heartened me was the turnout and active participation of youngsters at the readings.   It was a congregation of the intellectual elite from various cities of India and abroad in their winter best. The writers, literary agents and publishers from India and abroad completed the circle of the most elusive and celebrated people from the world of books.

The talks at lit fests celebrate great writings from poets and writers, lyricists and novelists, environmentalists and journalists, and the power of great ideas to transform our way of thinking. The festivals become a playground of the exchange of views and meeting of minds that inspires revelations- personal, political and educational. A Chinese writer at JLF remarked  that he was both astonished and warmed by the wide open debate between writers, journalists, members of the civil society and the audience without any embargoes. He felt intrigued by the diverse voices applauding and at the same time critiquing the government and other policy makers. Queer literature too finds a voice at festivals, and has been the force for widespread consciousness amongst people. .
The festivals are global in their reach and yet anchored by several Indian languages. Bollywood, rappers and food aficionados are equally represented at such fairs. Young adult workshops on the latest pedagogical practices in education and the children’s hour at the Goa fest was a great success.  
The bookshops engage the crowds effectively by proudly displaying works of all writers in attendance. The DSC prize for best South Asian literature and the showcasing of the Booker of the Booker prize shortlists are programs not to be missed. The Khuswant Singh Poetry prize is an addition to the same genre, coveted and awaited through the year. The readings run clockwork with close adherence to the printed schedule and protocol.

That’s the bookish side of the picture. The other side introduced the idea to the spectators that though we are here for books and books only, it would be too boring without music, food and controversies to sum the matter on a somber, pleasing note. The venues look like  a commercial hub, with food stalls, crowds and local cuisine and fashion in full splendor. Did this showmanship detract book lovers and writers from their activity of serious discussions or spurred them on with its alluring whiffs of colour is a matter of debate in itself. Goa remains more intimate and personal with close interactions between writers, musicians and the small but effective audience.   

Coming back to our original question of whether the events (I have been part of the Bookaro, and Kala Ghoda Lit Fest too sometime back) are an evidence of our revolutionizing reading habits in the present times of the visual media and gadgetry. The pointer is towards young India with never-ending deadlines and short attention spans. Or is it a cool quotient to be seen at such spots of the literary elites? You mention books, as you drop names, without having read them.  Maybe they are new centers of business and touristy agenda under the garb of literary and cultural promotions.

The fast growth and explosive popularity has achieved the inclusion of corporate sponsors. An example in case maybe the Jaipur literature festival,  which this year became Zee JLF. In the solitary world of books, reading and writing, these incursions are indicative of a defining change in the modern times of writing, selling and promoting books. The ubiquity of the market has definitely invaded the world of books.  Certain writers and avid readers like to remain far away from such happening fairs.  But the question remains ‘Is the general public reading?’

Brand Books Festivals are here to stay. What form it will evolve into, only time will tell. Let’s wait and watch as the Tamasha continues, says Amitav Ghosh.