If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) must feel like a superstar. Since its modest start in 2006 on the quiet grounds of the Diggi Hotel, JLF has inspired enough literary festivals to rival a photocopying machine. Back then, only a handful of people showed up—mainly sunburned tourists who had nothing better to do than pretend to care about books while killing time in the Pink City. But the organisers didn’t mind. Armed with enthusiasm and an apparent disregard for first-year turnout, they pressed on. By the second year, things started to look up. Suddenly, people were packing the hotel to listen to the likes of Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Shobha De, and Shashi Tharoor. It turns out that if you throw enough literary heavyweights on stage, folks will come running. The organisers, wisely aware of the short attention span of the modern reader, kept sessions to an hour—just long enough for people to feel intellectual without getting too bored. And, of course, the biggest thrill was getting your new, freshly-purchased book signed by its author.
Soon, the JLF formula was being imitated far and wide. Literary festivals sprouted like mushrooms in places like Kozhikode, Chandigarh, and even Aranmula, more famous for its boat races than book readings. Everyone wanted in on the action, though with a bit less polish and, let’s face it, none of the original JLF flair. One poet even sparked a scandal after grumbling that the Sahitya Akademi couldn’t be bothered to cover his taxi fare. Today, JLF has gone global, with spin-offs in Britain, Australia, and the US. Jaipur, once famous for its prosthetic foot, is now better known for literary conversations—despite the curious fact that the city hasn’t produced a literary giant. An irony indeed!
