In Letter and Spirit

On the Write Pitch: Probably the biggest since Oprah Winfrey last year, cricketer Rahul Dravid drew the largest crowd (more than any author has managed till now) at the festival yesterday. The venue of Tata Steel Front Lawns was brimming with cricket zealots as Dravid stepped on stage along with writers Ian Buruma and Suresh Menon, for a session moderated by journalist Rajdeep Sardesi. The session had questions flung at Dravid from all corners and the veteran cricketer was heard making many interesting points. From thinking of writing an autobiography to his stance on India-Pakistan matches (he ultimately concluded that politics and sports end up mixing), Dravid also confessed that "Sunny days" were the most inspirational and IPL matches have helped establish better relations between players from across the world. The session also saw the launch of the book Pataudi: Nawab of Cricket by Suresh Menon.

Turning a New Leaf: It's not just an opportunity to come face-to-face with authors but also to acquire some of the newest books in the market. JLF saw its share of book launches, including an Arabic version of the Ramayana translated by famous Lebanese poet Wadi-al-Bustani in early 20th century.

Author Laxmi Dhaul was at Diggi Palace to launch her book, In the Shadows of Freedom. Published by Zubaan, this chronicles the journey of her parents who were an active part of the Independence struggle with Mahatma Gandhi and spent the initial part of their married lives in prison. There was a condition, however, that was put on them by Gandhi — that they would not procreate until India gains independence. This was how Dhaul was born, literally in the shadows of freedom.

What's on today

"Whose Legacy is it anyway? Land, People and Development": Session featuring HM Nerurkar, Kota Neelima, Shoma Shoudhury and Tarun Das, moderated by John Elliot

"Junoon: In the Company of Poets": Jeet Thayil, Fahmida Riaz, Tishani Doshi and Sheniz Janmohamed in conversation.

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel": Discussion with authors Deborah Moggach and Monish Rajesh.

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