The ELLE Book Club, supported by Bloomsbury India, celebrated literary legend Margaret Atwood at an intimate soirée during this year’s ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival. The setting was the lovely Samode Haveli, which was lit up and lined with candles and marigold flowers. Guests — including top publishers, writers, journalists and book hounds — raised their sparkling Chandon to Atwood. In return, the author regaled us with her wicked wit and candour, and her heartening words about the relevance and necessity of fashion in the world and in literature. For a taste of the best of contemporary Indian design, we presented her with beautiful pieces from Amrapali and designers Payal Khandwala and Sanjay Garg; we promptly lost her to fawning guests right after. By the end of the night, rosy-cheeked from the cold, loose-limbed from the wine and having cheated on every kind of diet with the sumptuous Rajasthani buffet, guests were handed yet another surprise: goodie bags stuffed with gorgeous presents from Amrapali and Forest Essentials. Safe to say, it was a good night.
Photographs: Saskia Patel Saskiadr.com
