A great literary festival is slated to start tomorrow, in one of the most magical cities in the world. Travelling to Jaipur means witnessing first hand a city that is pure enchantment on earth; a perfect blend of streetwise kids, antique architecture and wonderful shopping. But during the next five days – through the 25th of January – an already breathtaking adventure destination will become only that much more fascinating. That’s because a large number of the world’s great intellects will be descending on the Pink City, for the Jaipur Literature Festival which promises to bring together the best of the best in the literary world. It’s an event guaranteed to gather under one roof – that of the historic Diggi Palace – the best known names in modern literature. Organized by William Dalrymple, whose brilliant writing is only surpassed by his splendidly friendly personality, the festival is a unique event in its grandeur but also happens to be free to all. Yes, you read right. Free, t0 all! No VIPs, no green rooms, no closed events, no reserved seats.

I had a chance to speak with Mr. Dalrymple while he was busy organizing all the last minute details. With his lively new puppies playing in the background, he told me about his inspiration for this extraordinary festival, when he got involved in the project, and why he chose the city of Jaipur.

CHIC TODAY: Mr. Dalrymple, what made you choose Jaipur for the festival, as opposed to, say, a city like Delhi?

WILLIAM DALRYMPLE: Before I got involved, there was already a Jaipur Festival, mostly for the performing and visual arts. It had been created by Faith and John Singh, the couple behind the success of Anokhi. In 2003, I got involved and was struck by the absence of a literary aspect to the festival. All around the world, Indian authors were beloved and revered. Yet, none of them lived in India, it seemed. You could meet great Indian writers more easily in Sidney, Australia, or NYC than in India. It seemed like such a novelty for Indians to be able to meet Indian writers, like an “elephant in the drawing room”, so much great writing was going on, unknown to Indian audiences. Jaipur in January was ideal, since there were no other major international festivals going on at the same time, and amazingly, most international writers were just fine with an economy class seat to India, taking them away from their cold drawing rooms around the world. And for those who wish to get away from the gloom of New Delhi in January, Jaipur offers blue skies and wonderful fresh air. It’s an ideal location and an amazing atmosphere!

CT: What inspired you to get involved?

WD: I wanted to create a democratic environment where Salman Rushdie and a completely unknown Bengali poet would be able to sit side by side and learn from each other. That is why there are no special treatments at the festival, no green rooms, no reserved seating. It’s a place where a Kannada screenplay writer would be on the same level as some of the international stars of the writing world. The festival started with just six authors in 2003, and this year we have 169 participating authors. Last year, Christopher Hampton and Ian McEwan of Atonement were at the festival, right as the Oscar buzz was beginning to build around the film. This year, we have an opening night screening of Slumdog Millionaire with author Vikas Swarup (who wrote the novel Q & A on which the film is based) and Hindi cinema superstar Anil Kapoor. And for the first time this year, we have live musicians every night!

So, for those of you wondering where I’ll be for the next few days, look no further than the Pink City itself. That’s where you’ll find me, with my leather-bound Indian copy of Q & A underarm and a warm, spicy glass of chai in hand, looking up at the clear Rajastani sky, while listening to the brightest minds on the planet. Truly heaven on earth!

Image courtesy of the Jaipur Literature Festival Organization