What can one say about a literature fest without being repetitive? Lit fests are special. They fill you up with energy and enthusiasm. They remind you of the joy of reading, writing, and stories.
And lit fests in beautiful spaces? They’re inspiring. Srinagar is lovely, and equally, Delhi Public School, which hosted Bookaroo, was charming. Look where I conducted both my sessions!
Over the last few years, I’ve been invited to several lit fests. Last year alone, I did events at lit fests in Vadodara, Gurugram, Jaipur and Pune, in addition to smaller ones at various schools in the country. I’ve shared pictures and anecdotes, and at the risk of repeating myself, I will say that lit fests always leave me on a high.
Yet, for a writer, lit fests are a means to an end. They’re a way for children to get to know about our stories. They help create some shelf space for our books at stores that are dominated by Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, the Famous Five, and Geronimo Stilton.
Of course, the author interactions themselves are lovely. It’s grand to address a full house and have dozens–sometimes hundreds–of enthusiastic children in the audience. But we are finally writers first. We want our stories to be read.
And that’s what makes Bookaroo truly special. The fact that there is a space for authors to be seen. Their books are celebrated, not just for the way they bring children together at an event, but for the way they bring children together through the stories themselves.
Authors are notoriously shy, and I fit into the stereotype perfectly. I don’t find it easy to ask the bookstore if they have my books. Nor am I comfortable checking with the festival director if they have a space for author signings.
At more than one lit fest I’ve been invited to, my books have not been available. Even when books are available and there’s a table for authors to sign books, I–and I know I’m not alone in this because of multiple conversations with fellow authors–often just stand around awkwardly wondering whether to sit because when we sit, we’re often mistaken for the cashier.
Smoothening the whole process makes the lit fest experience a treat. While you can never make someone buy a book, you can facilitate the process with volunteers who make announcements and guide writers to a desk with a name plate and a pen.
And that makes the whole process come full circle. You write a book, get it published, people find out about it through the event, and then finally, you write a little note and hand the book over to a reader, the one to whom the story finally belongs.
Bookaroo, thank you!
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