On a breezy evening, the lawns of lit fests fill up fast – tote bags slung over shoulders, books in hand, crowds move between sessions. Packed auditoriums welcome celeb speakers, while in quieter corners, debut authors wait to be heard. The mood is lively, but a recent report in a leading international publication has cast a sharp light, questioning whether India’s booming literary festival circuit signals a thriving reading culture or simply an appetite for spectacle. For Bengaluru,home to many big and small literary festivals, the debate feels close to home. We ask B’lureans if festivals are building readers or just drawing crowds.
India’s reading culture is still developing
I don’t think India is a strong reading nation yet. We’re a storytelling nation, but reading culture is still developing. We like the idea of books, respect authors and attend festivals, but how many actually read consistently after school or college? That number remains small. I’ve attended literary festivals as a reader, publisher, and author. For many, it’s more about the experience than the books – networking, selfies, celebrity sessions. However, festivals aren’t useless; they create visibility and remind people that books exist. But if reading doesn’t continue after the event, it becomes merely a cultural gathering, not a literary one. The biggest cultural shift will happen when reading is seen not as academic, but personal. India has never lacked stories; we just need to normalise sitting quietly with them.
Lit fests can be cultural events too
I feel that most people (non-readers or occasional readers like myself) do see it as a cultural fest. For some, it’s another avenue for recreation and that is alright. For me, it was about the vibe and famous faces I could meet; the most recent one I attended was the Bangalore Literature Festival and enjoyed the fun I had with my friends, most. At Vir Das and Shashi Tharoor’s sessions, I was all ears. But I will be honest, none of it made me want to read more. Books and writers should ideally be at the core, but like everything else, this is also about revenue and the number of books sold, so I understand why celebs are drawn in.
Writers get sidelined
Literature festivals offer readers a welcoming space to explore and buy books, attend sessions and even get their copies signed. The make books more accessible, bringing together thousands of titles in different languages from across the country, which may not be easily available in local bookstores. Fests help a lot of writers with visibility, but they do get sidelined compared to big celebrities. I feel we need more sessions, not just with famous celebrities or even famous authors, but up and coming people.
Plagued by a lack uniqueness
India has too many lit festivals. They have become social events where people like to be seen. I do not think these festivals are encouraging people to read more. In fact, lit festivals have lost sight of that ethos. Reading is a serious hobby, but over a period of time this hobby has taken a beating. There is nothing wrong with the criticism of the publication. More than 100 festivals a year is just too many. These festivals lack uniqueness and this lack of evolution has deeply stunted the reading potential they could have otherwise created. Also, serious writers have their audiences and they actually do not depend on lit festivals for launches and visibility of their books. Lit festivals need serious writers to bring in consistent audiences.
Fests encourage reading
There is a reason why we call it a lit ‘festival’. We celebrate reading. That celebration includes everyone in the sphere – publishers, authors, stores, librarians and readers young and old. We certainly love to celebrate our celebs too. If this draws crowds, brings profitability and inspires the next generation of readers, then where’s the downside? The purpose of lit fests is to inspire more reading. I don’t think it’s right to hold lit fests accountable for anything more than that. I don’t agree that reading for pleasure is declining, the growing number of fests reflects that.
There is space for both celebs and writers
It’s hard to quantify ourselves as a nation of readers because being a reader depends on early habits. Many of us grew up on myths and fables – from Pancha Thanthram to Vikram Vedal – stories that entertained and sparked curiosity. I attend literary festivals to discover new writers. While celebrity sessions often draw bigger crowds, serious and upcoming writers also find an audience in smaller, more intimate sessions that allow meaningful interaction.