Digital festivities

The flip side of virtual events is that one does not get to meet fellow attendees, make new friends, or be surprised by the discovery of authors and artists that one knew nothing about

Gone are the days when people used to whine about digital avatars of literature and art festivals. They are no longer seen as poor substitutes for the “real”, on-site, flesh-and-blood jamborees. The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed many to recognise that virtual editions can be as engaging as offline ones if the organisers do not skimp on the production values of events.

This year, the Jaipur Literature Festival offered a hybrid model. From March 5 to 9, they had a delectable menu of online programming with pre-recorded sessions. The on-ground festival was from March 10 to 14; these sessions were also made