The Durbar Hall at Diggi Palace, the venue for the Festival. The Durbar Hall at Diggi Palace, the venue for the Festival.

Over 200 authors including two Nobel Prize winners will be in attendance at this year's festival.



EVERY January, the world gets divided into those who are - and those who are not attending the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF). But in the year of the aam aadmi - there cannot be a more compelling argument for its success thus far, than the fact that it staunchly remains a free festival open to the masses. This, combined with an assured A-list of authors, has made JLF into one of the world's largest literature festivals, a completely democratic (and demographic!) cultural bonanza.

(L) Amartya Sen, Jhumpa Lahiri and Irrfan Khan (L) Amartya Sen, Jhumpa Lahiri and Irrfan Khan

This trend continues this year as well, as the authors are as diverse as the audience, a heady mix of national and international, established as well as unknown. In recent years JLF has been occasionally critiqued for courting a celebrity cult - (the Oprah Winfrey episode is frequently quoted) but this year the programme designed by festival directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple is bold yet balanced.In an election year there is an important emphasis on political and voting patterns - but there is also a special section on publishing trends, and literature remains on top of the agenda. Especially exciting for crime writers such as myself - Crime and Punishment is a significant theme - but more about that, later.Among those not attending are many who claim a sudden onslaught of agoraphobia - but for others (like me) the lure of luxuriating in literature grows exponentially along with the festival size. Like any other book junkie, I am prepared to attend sessions whilst being swept in and out of sessions, almost in a zombie like trance - often just following the crowds. Those unused to situations such as Churchgate Station at peak hour, might have to indulge in a spot of planning to grab a place (well perfected by some who request friends to lay down shawls and handbags across unreserved rows). Another cunning idea is to tiptoe out of some sessions a trifle early to queue up at the one you want to listen to next - keeping a beady eye on those who shuffling their feet as the session ends, so that you can charge across and grab their space.But most of all, it might be useful to already begin to go through details available on the festival website - and start thinking of whom you really want to listen to, so that strategies can be worked out - including where to grab the coffee in-between and how to gobble a quick lunch. Yes, that's because even lunch time sessions can have an interesting book launch - leaving little time to dawdle over dal bati churma (a perpetual favourite on the JLF menu).Fortunately because the venues are all within five minutes of each other, a brisk pace will ensure you manage to gain access.Most tented venues offer extra space - if you don't stand on dignity and just sit on the grass! The only area that you cannot charm your way into is the Durbar Hall in the main Diggy Palace, once it is packed to capacity - so try to keep that as priority, if there is anything that interests you there.Let me also warn you that literature lovers are nonnegotiable creatures, and are known to bite! Abandon your seat at your peril- because this year too, the festival has a lot to offer: from Jonathan Franzen (author of Freedom and Corrections) to Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri (who has just written The Lowlands ) to Gloria Steinem (the iconic feminist author). I would strongly recommend listening to the discussion between Jhumpa Lahiri, Jonathan Franzen and Jim Crace (who was shortlisted for the Man Booker award for Harvest ) on their views about The Global Novel. Alongside there will be equally interesting sessions with some debutante authors such as the much loved Mary Kom who will be launching her biography.There are over 200 authors to choose from, and many of them international awardees, including two Nobel Prize winners as well, Amartya Sen - who will give the keynote address, and Harold Varmus.Varmus was the co-recipient of the Nobel Prize on the genetic basis of cancer. He has also been the president of the Sloan Kettering Cancer centre and was chosen by President Obama to head National Cancer Institute. Both Sen and Varmus add to the festival agenda of engaging with social issues and change.As JLF continues to grow, an exciting initiative this year is through the launch of Bookmark - a platform specially for the publishing industry, which has seen some rather seismic changes, even within India. The talented Alexandra Pringle (who can forget her success with the Harry Potter series?) will be in discussion about The Synergies of the Glocal with the equally impressive Ameena Saiyed from Oxford University Press and Ravi DeeCee - a well established independent publisher.These sessions are as important for authors as they are for publishers as the content often morphs according to marketing and technology needs.Another major focus of the festival is on Crime and Punishment.This has been specially curated and introduced by Namita Gokhale - reflecting the fact that crime writing deals with rapidly changing values and a growing emphasis on accountability.In fact, the Crime Writer's Association of South Asia (of which I must confess I am the convener and a founder member) will also be launched during the festival, with the agenda of bringing together all crime writers in this region. So hailing all crime writers - please head for JLF! Overall, the festival offers a range of themes and different platforms for discussions as well as opportunities for learning and growth. And just in case none of that appeals - you could just ' chill' at the festival venue listening to some of the world's foremost authors and thinkers. And then unwind at a music session in the evening, after the hard intellectual work is over!