Between Worlds: An Experience Through Words By Deepika Shetty

As far as festivals go, you can’t get any better than this. I had an accidental meeting with Janet at a media conference for the Singapore Writers Festival around July 2005. I was one of those noisy journos, asking tons of questions – why can’t we have an equivalent of a FLIP – the celebrated Brazilian Literary Festival in South-East Asian shores, why aren’t there snazzier book launches – you get the drift? Ignorant me didn’t know that sitting in our midst was someone who had created just that in Ubud in 2004. I’d hear more of that when Janet got one of the Singapore Writers Festival coordinators to introduce her to me (not that she needs any introduction!).
 
Janet casually started the conversation with ‘Oh I run this small writers festival in Ubud’ (speak of understatement!), then she told me about her fascinating book ‘Fragrant Rice’, then the restaurants and other businesses she runs with her husband Ketut, then the four children. By the end of that half hour long conversation, my jaw had dropped – ok maybe not visibly – and I knew Janet had to appear on my book show ‘Off The Shelf’.
 
Then she invited me to chair two sessions at Ubud – In Conversation with Booker Prize winning Michael Ondaatje and another one called ‘Passages From India’ with Amitav Ghosh and Randhir Khare. I’d already said yes to ‘Passages’ when the second one cropped up. I distinctly remember Janet’s email “since you will be in Ubud, would you mind moderating another session with Michael Ondaatje. If you are ok with it, I’ll pencil in your name.”
 
I love her words, just as I love the way she has created the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival as a perfect bridge between worlds. Would I mind? Michael Ondaatje? Of English Patient fame? Hell, no I’d give my life. I was already at the edge of my office seat as I replied to that mail, hoping and praying that some other celebrity presenter drops out next year and Janet thinks of me yet again as a fit replacement.
 
It was my second time in Bali, but the first in Ubud. The fascinating rice fields, the mountains and of course, the Honeymoon Guest House took my breath away. But nothing, I repeat nothing had prepared me for the perfect backdrop at Indus which was the setting for many of the sessions.
 
I’d met Michael at the Palace Opening and the ‘aha’ moment as it’s often called was finally here. The weeks of snuggling up to ‘Billy The Kid’, ‘Anil’s Ghost’, ‘The English Patient’, ‘Coming Through Slaughter’, not counting the hours spent on the net were about to be tested. This was IT!
The venue was packed, there was very little standing room even, I noticed. The moment was now. And I began by talking of the terror attacks and my belief that the way to fight terror was not to be terrorized by it. After a well-deserved thanks to the organizers, the conversation was well and truly underway.
 
There are guests and then there are guests, but as the conversationalist I couldn’t have hoped to share the stage with anyone better to engage than the one and only Michael Ondaatje. He put me at ease from the word go and that sure helped. He was amazingly grounded despite all the awards and a lifetime of stunning work. He was warm, personable and humorous throughout the session. An excerpt he read from ‘Running in the Family’ had the audience in splits, a side of him which also came to the fore during the lunch session with none other than the celebrated Nury Vittachi.
 
A sample of the repartee: Nury: “Michael, I’ve been inviting you for the Hong Kong Writers Festival, I’ve promised you a six star hotel, a First Class airfare, but you’ve told me you don’t travel. What is it that Janet has, that I don’t?
 
Michael: (Laughs) She has Ubud and Bali.”
 
Another repartee ran along these lines:
 
Nury: “Sri Lankans are these tiny people with small hips like me - are you really a Sri Lankan?
Michael: No, the real Michael Ondaatje is back home in Toronto – he didn’t want to travel (laughs)."
 
‘ Passages Through India’ took us on an interesting journey through Indian writing in English and more. Amitav Ghosh read from his latest book ‘The Hungry Tide’ and the sheer magnificence of his writing and the research that goes into creating his work came to the fore. It was a similar journey through the western Indian state of Gujarat through Randhir Khare’s work.
 
While my sessions were over, the day had well and truly begun. The night saw the famous love debate “Who Writes Better Love Scenes: Men or Women”. It was a three man team led by Nury versus a two woman team comprising Irina Dunn and yours truly. But when you’ve got someone like Irina on your side, the debate can be considered yours even before it begins. Her extremely well-researched arguments saw the men defecting to our side with Irina walking away with the well-deserved trophy.
 
On my second day at Ubud, I decided to play observer with my videocam in tow. There was Amitav in conversation with Indian diplomat and author T.S. Tirumurti then the poetry session, Linda Spalding’s session, the big literary lunch and at night the poetry slam beckoned. And then I sadly had to leave.
 
Buoyed by so much support, the festival truly lived up to its theme - 'Between Worlds', which reflects a life between peace and violence and how we survive in a changing world.
 
It’s a theme that’s bound to strengthen the spirit of the Festival in the years to come.
Deepika is a Producer with Prime Time Morning and takes care of the book segment, ‘Off The Shelf.’