Jaipur Literature Festival Opens with Spectacular Puppets and Unexpected Drama
The Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 launched in grand Rajasthani style on Thursday. Two enormous katputlis or traditional puppets towered over the crowd on stilts. Dressed in full regional attire, they danced and sang to welcome guests. Hulking camels, reminiscent of dinosaurs in their size, escorted these jovial figures. The wail of bagpipes filled the air, though not the Scottish variety, adding a unique local twist.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari attended the opening. They stood alongside festival founders Namita Gokhale and writer William Dalrymple, as well as JLF Director Sanjoy Roy. The star-studded international guest list mingled with these giant puppets, creating a vibrant atmosphere that screamed Rajasthan.
The Elusive Headliner: Kiran Desai's No-Show
By 11:30 AM, the main hall was packed to capacity. Attendees crammed in, all eager to see Booker Prize-winning author Kiran Desai. Her session was scheduled for high noon according to the printed program, which cost thirty rupees and was non-refundable. Noon arrived, but Kiran Desai did not.
The audience waited patiently as organizers and the Chief Minister delivered speeches. Whispers spread through the crowd as people checked their schedules with growing agitation. Eventually, news filtered through that Desai's session had shifted to 3 PM, according to the online schedule. This caused mild disappointment and confusion. One silver lining emerged: Chief Minister Sharma addressed a standing-room-only hall, an honor many novelists might envy.
The Digital Disappearance of Percival Everett
The festival's main literary mystery involved author Percival Everett. His name had featured prominently among the star attractions, representing a major coup for the organizers. Everett wrote James, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning retelling of Huckleberry Finn. This novel sparked widespread discussions about race, identity, and American irony.
Literary enthusiasts, a proactive group, scrambled to prepare. They ordered copies of James for friends and family, hoping to get them signed by the author who reimagined a classic. Then, his name simply vanished from the festival website. It did not move to another slot or get rescheduled. It disappeared completely, as if digitally redacted.
Whispers quickly shifted from "Where's Kiran?" to "Who erased Everett?" The promised satirical genius, a distinguished professor, had been removed without clear explanation. Festival organizers later revealed, somewhat underwhelmingly, that Everett had pulled out. They provided no details about the reasons or the timing of his withdrawal.
The Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 opened with traditional fanfare but quickly turned into a tale of missing authors and digital mysteries. Giant puppets and camels set the stage, but the absent headliners stole the spotlight, leaving attendees buzzing with questions and speculation.
