According to this Al Jazzera piece, India has about 60 Lit Fests or so in a year - about one a week. Every major city has one; every major media organization has one, and apparently every book club.
Sometimes it feels like we have more literary fests than actual authors. Especially when one glances at the guest lists, which usually contain more politicians, journalists, actors, business leaders and activists than actual writers.
With the Jaipur Literature Fest taking up the bulk of the spotlight and essentially a scrabble for the rest to make their mark, the big question for any budding literature festival is - how to attract attention?Why not invite a rape-accused?This solution might seem a bit out-of-the-box for your average citizen, since the horrifying number of sexual assaults in the country is a sensitive topic. But Times of India seems undeterred by such logic. The media organization has its own 'Lit Fest' coming up from December 5-7 and it has deemed it sensible to invitedisgraced former-editor and rape-accused Tarun Tejpal. To refresh memories, Mr Tejpal was accused of sexual assault by a colleague in November of 2013. He was eventually arrested and spent a few months in jail. He was then granted bail and has lain low ever since while the case drags on through the courts. The Times Lit Fest is apparently where he is seeking to make his big comeback amongst the people who matter - the high-society, self-proclaimed elites who populate such events. Funnily enough, the festival brochure includes a bio of Mr Tejpal, but makes no mention of his recent troubles.
src:sify.com