Written by Aishwarya KhoslaJanuary 16, 2026 12:23 AM IST 3 min readRajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma along with Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Diya Kumari with Namita Gokhale, JLF founder and co-director writer William Dalrymple and JLF Director Sanjoy Roy at the Jaipur Lit Festival in Jaipur on Thursday. (Express Photo by Rohit Jain Paras)They say everything’s bigger in Rajasthan, be it the forts, the deserts, and even the opening act of its famous literature festival. JLF 2026 kicked off with two giant katputlis (puppets) in full Rajasthani regalia, swaggering in on stilts, and welcoming guests with dance and song. Rubbing shoulders with a star-studded cosmopolitan guest list from across the world, they made it impossible to forget that one was in Rajasthan. The jovial puppets were escorted by hulking camels of dinosaur proportions, and the wail of bagpipes (not the ones from the Scottish Highlands before one cries foul!).Where’s Waldo, aka Kiran DesaiBut the real headliner was the festival’s own version of Where’s Waldo? Or rather ‘Where’s Kiran?’ By 11:30 am, the hall was crammed to the rafters. All for Kiran Desai, Booker-winning author, who is famously elusive. The printed schedule (₹30, non refundable!) promised her at high noon.Noon struck. No Kiran. Instead, the audience listened politely as speeches continued, one by one by the organisers and then the Chief Minister himself, while whispers rippled through the crowd as the seconds ticked and schedules were checked with increasing agitation. Eventually, word spread that Desai’s session had been moved to 3 pm, according to the online programme. There was mild disappointment, some confusion, and one consolation: at least the Chief Minister got to address a standing-room-only hall, an honour many novelists might envy.Who erased Everett?But the main event in literary hide-and-seek was reserved for Percival Everett. His name had been nestled among the stars, a major coup! The author of James, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning retelling of Huckleberry Finn, that had everyone talking about race, identity, and American irony. The literati, a proactive bunch, scrambled. Copies of James were ordered for friends and family, prepped for signing, ready to be touched by the hand that rewrote a classic. Then, his name… vanished. Poof. Gone from the site. Not moved, not rescheduled, simply vaporised. The whispers turned from “Where’s Kiran?” to “Who erased Everett?” The promised satirical genius, the distinguished professor, the man who turned Mark Twain inside out, had been digitally redacted. The eventual, underwhelming reveal was that he had pulled out, it was unclear why and when. Aishwarya Khosla is a key editorial figure at The Indian Express, where she spearheads and manages the Books & Literature and Puzzles & Games sections, driving content strategy and execution. Her extensive background across eight years also includes previous roles at Hindustan Times, where she provided dedicated coverage of politics, books, theatre, broader culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Aishwarya's specialty lies in book reviews and literary criticism, apart from deep cultural commentary where she focuses on the complex interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She is a proud recipient of The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections. This fellowship required intensive study and research into political campaigns, policy analysis, political strategy, and communications, directly informing the analytical depth of her cultural commentary. As the dedicated author of The Indian Express newsletters, Meanwhile, Back Home and Books 'n' Bits, Aishwarya provides consistent, curated, and trusted insights directly to the readership. She also hosts the podcast series Casually Obsessed. Her established role and her commitment to examining complex societal themes through a nuanced lens ensure her content is a reliable source of high-quality literary and cultural journalism. Write to her at aishwaryakhosla.ak@gmail.com or aishwarya.khosla@indianexpress.com. You can follow her on Instagram: @aishwarya.khosla, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Jaipur literary festJaipur Literary Festival