Amitav Ghosh on Festivals and Tamashas

In what may be a sarcastic dig at literary festivals in general and Jaipur Literary Festival in particular, Amitav Ghosh (yes, the one who writes translucent prose, read, read!) says:

I have never attended the Jaipur Literature Festival; nor does a visit loom in the foreseeable future. This is largely (but not wholly) because I have no taste for tamashas. 

I am not against literary festivals, however, I am against festivals which are seen as elitist and sort of a venue for writers to meet and socialise over cocktails. This only gives rise to controversy as writing is a lonely profession and a writer may lose his unique point of view in the cocktail chatter and gossip.

Well, hm, that's my view.  

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