The Bangalore Literature Festival was a comforting sign of the return to normalcy

It is possible that the 11th edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival saw bigger crowds, more enthusiasm and greater energy than any of the previous 10

The first time I went to a literature festival, the guests included Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Tom Wolfe, Anita Desai, David Lodge, Peter Ustinov, Harold Pinter. None of them became lifelong friends, but for a few brief moments when they signed their books for me or responded to my questions, they spoke as if we were indeed friends.

Writing is a lonely, individual pursuit — and so is reading. A literature festival makes it a community event. Most readers don’t want to know too much about writers; they are happy with what their books reveal. And most writers are happy for short sessions with readers (some see them as necessary evils); they would rather be writing than speaking. A lit fest satisfies both groups, each seeking validation in convenient ways. And then there is that illusion of friendship.

The return of the lit fest has been both stealthy and noisy. It is a dichotomy that describes that most heart-warming of festivals — a community-funded one that is the Bangalore Literature Festival (BLF). It is possible that the 11th edition saw bigger crowds, more enthusiasm and greater energy than any of the previous 10. It continues to be both intimate like a home-cooked meal for two, and extravagant like an Indian wedding.

Youngsters stood out in a way they don’t at other festivals, asking questions, often provocative. Sitting in a contemplative corner in the author’s lounge, I was nearly trampled by the Sudha Murty fan club which accompanied her towards the book signing area. The lady herself walked with the air of a rock star used to such adulation. It was wonderful!

Pico Iyer speaking on why we travel is a bit like Moses explaining the Ten Commandments with footnotes. The world is not shrinking, he explained, not in the way it should. “We are 200 cultures divided by a common frame of reference.”

Translation is the flavour of the season, especially after Geetanjali Shree’s International Booker Prize, and the BLF reflected that. Shree was a star at the show, even if few knew how this brave anti-establishment writer has been shunned in her native Uttar Pradesh and has had public appearances cancelled there with the weapon of those who would harass, the so-called Public Interest Litigation.

For many, the presence of Booker winner Shehan Karunatilaka was reason enough to rejoice. Karunatilaka didn’t disappoint; his wit and gentle manners augmenting his brilliant prose. At a session on cricket-writing, he made the pleasing statement that he finds cricket writers far more interesting than cricketers. Karunatilaka was also interviewed by the poet and novelist Jeet Thayil, who has been on the Booker shortlist himself.