Books, Bollywood and barbs: the magic of the Jaipur literature festival
(The Guardian India)

Critics may carp, but stellar lineups, celebrity sightings and swarming crowds make Jaipur the world´s biggest literary eventFor a country too often associated with poverty and bad news, the annual Jaipur literature festival is a matter of national pride. Not only because it is officially the world´s largest such gathering, but also because it has earned its place on the global literary map, even with a serious reading public still emerging in India.Where else in the world could you listen to Weijian Shan, author of Out of the Gobi, recall his childhood during China´s cultural revolution, when Mao urged students to beat their teachers to death? Or learn how the late war correspondent Marie Colvin had to drink Colonel Gaddafi´s guards under the table in order to secure an interview with him? Or hear biographer Benjamin Moser talk about Susan Sontag´s lifelong shame at being gay? Related: Escape to the country: India´s villagers open doors to city tourists | Anne Pinto-Rodrigues Continue reading...