The spectacle of books

What's more, both the spectacles and these sideshows sold books. While publishers regularly, shamelessly, use attractive author portraits to seduce readers, at the JLF, the less problematic fact that eloquent authors sell books was evident. After a hilarious Latin America session, marked by the bonhomie and banter between Ariel Dorfman and Peruvian author Santiago Roncagliolo, Dorfman's books vanished from the bookstore shelves. Similarly, after an electrifying talk by explorer Wade Davis, the store ran out of Into the Silence, his nearly 700-page book on World War I and the conquest of Everest.

These authors are by no means light reading, although the JLF certainly had its typical, dizzying, mix of low- and high-brow subjects and speakers. But if the florid flourishes of celebrity or controversy drew people in, there was enough solid literary programming to thicken the plot. Often the audience asked for reading recommendations: young Latin American novelists, Russians beyond Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. Whatever else some of its speakers may court, the JLF certainly sparks literary interest.

The mishmash of topics and speakers could actually make for charming serendipity. One morning, I heard a reading of "We and They", Rudyard Kipling's poem about the arbitrary nature of allegiances and prejudices. That afternoon, Pakistani poet Fahmida Riaz recited her classic "Naya Bharat", which judges the rise of Hindutva through the voice of Muslim fundamentalism in its lines: "Tum bilkul hum jaise nikle."

Notably, in the second recitation, the audience itself begged Riaz for the poem. This level of audience participation was typical of the few Hindustani talks I attended — more humour, spontaneous clapping, and a few "wah wahs" in the aforementioned example. Including more Indian languages and possibly making provisions for translation could only add to the festival's richness in variety, increase the fluency of discussion and appeal to a wider audience.

... contd.

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