In the hierarchy of book launches in Delhi, a complex code indicates the importance of the launch. The address matters as does the time: a launch at the august India International Centre may or may not be more important than a launch at the Maurya Sheraton, but a 5 pm launch on a weekday anywhere is outranked by a 7 pm launch on the weekend.
The British Council, with its split between the auditorium (where you discuss the book) and the Char Bagh outside (where the gossip happens) is the choice for most authors. But one address goes beyond the usual paradigms of snob value and worldly reckonings: Rashtrapati Bhavan, where more important considerations than book sales determine who gets in and who doesn