Trot book world all year long, follow lit fests around the world

The sunny city of western India is buzzing with words – some which take us to dreamy lands, or others which hit us hard with realism. Book lovers from all over the world are gathering for the kumbh, called Lit Fest, this week in Jaipur. If you don't want to halt at the Pink City and continue to tread the Lit Fest path, here's list of all the book fest you can attend all over the world whole year, and come back home on time to celebrate the NYE! Read on...

Jaipur Literary Festival, India, January
A tourist hotspot, while thinking of this city images of spectacular pink palaces – still guarded by turban-wearing men – come to mind. But Jaipur is actually making a big name for itself in the book world alongwith being a favourite for globetrotters. Every January, the literary community gathers for the annual Jaipur Literary Festival, which is said to be the largest free book event in the world, thanks to author William Dalrymple. From Nobel laureates to local language writers, Man Booker prize winners to debut novelists, the festival offers five days of readings, debates and discussions at the beautiful Diggi Palace in the Rajasthani capital. The year of lit fest starts from 21st of this month. Get, set, read...

Irrawaddy Literary Festival, Burma, February
Though Burma has a rich literary history, the country’s publishing industry has been somewhat stifled by military rule in recent years. The Irrawaddy Literary Festival is an important and celebrated step forward. The third Festival, in 2015, will, as always, showcase some of the best Burmese and international writers. Literary giants like Ian McEwan ( Atonement ), and fellow Man Booker Prize winner, Anne Enright (The Gathering ) has already promised their presence, alongiwth Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Southern Literary Festival, Mississippi, USA, March
The Southern Literary Festival is an organisation of colleges and schools in the USA, founded in 1937, to promote southern literature. Each year a different school hosts the Southern Literary Festival and, in 2015 Southern Literary Festival will take place in historic Dahlonega, Georgia, on the campus of the University of North Georgia. Attendees may wish to try their hands at panning for gold or spending a day hiking the miles and miles of local trails, including the Appalachian Trail.

LA Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles, USA, April
Bibliophiles positively flock to the LA Times Festival of Books in sunny Los Angeles every April. This fun, relaxed, outdoor, two-day event boasts rows upon rows of bookish stalls. As informal as it looks, the festival is well-known for its excellent (and eclectic) guest list having featured everyone from Batman comic book writers to Margaret Atwood and the late, great Ray Bradbury.

Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts, Wales, May
The pretty market town of Hay-on-Wye – on the English-Welsh border – has been nicknamed the ‘town of books’ and famously plays host to the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts in May. While this little community usually has a population of just 1500, it explodes in size during the event, with over 250,000 readers and writers descending for its lineup of bestselling author talks, workshops and book signings. Hay-on-Wye also boasts an absolutely brilliant selection of bookshops. Always a bonus.

Letterature, Italy, June
Held in the beautiful, historic setting of Basilica di Massenzio within Rome's ancient Forum, meanwhile, is Letterature. Though more low profile than most, this festival attracts big-name authors who give smaller, more intimate lectures across a five-day period. They often share the stage with local bands and musicians in what is, truly, a celebration of literature in the most atmospheric of locations.

FLIP, Brazil, July
The pretty coastal town of Paraty in Brazil (named for its frequent pirate visitors of long ago) draws thousands of visitors for FLIP or Festa Literária Internacional de Paraty, its annual literary festival founded by publishing powerhouse Liz Calder – who also co-founded Bloomsbury. There’s an emphasis on cultural exchange and guests can be found sitting in the charming, old-fashioned squares until the early hours of the morning discussing literature and the arts long after the scheduled programme of events concludes for the day.

Edinburgh International Book Festival, Scotland, August
With over 750 events, the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s tented literary village takes 15 days to construct and 10 days to take down. In a somewhat mammoth celebration of the written word, around 800 writers fly in from all over the world to rub shoulders with the audience.

Wigtown Book Festival, Scotland, September
Ancient monuments, sandy beaches and plenty of clifftop walking trails, the market town setting for Wigtown Book Festival couldn’t be prettier. Located in the beautiful countryside of Dumfries and Galloway in south-west Scotland, Wigtown is Scotland's National Book Town, a designation that reflects its excellent dozen or so second hand bookshops and annual literary festival. Dubbed “the sort of festival people become possessive about” by The Guardian, the ten-day literary celebration welcomes writers and readers from far and wide with a brilliant programme of over 175 bookish events.

International Literature Festival Berlin, Germany, October
If you are a world literature fan, you should not miss this. Arabic poets and American short story writers, South Korean poets and their Russian colleagues, South African novelists and Albanian novices – each year in September, the International Literature Festival Berlin presents a celebration of worldwide literature across 180 individual events.

Miami Book Fair, USA, November
Palm trees, ocean spray and hot and humid weather – even in the late month of November – offer a tantalising backdrop for the annual Book Fair in Miami. Highlights of the eight-day itinerary include the Street Fair, with more than 350 authors reading and discussing their work, and the popular Evenings With Series, which features nighttime readings and discussions with noted authors from the United States and around the world. Last year’s attendees included Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding and Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame.

Goa Art and Literary Festival, December
Attend literary events, book launches and visit the popular beaches of Goa for some sun and sand experience. Now into the sixth year, this fest is more of a fun and masti than reading and pondering. But who minds loitering on the sandy beaches of this territory with a book in hand?

This one's for the mystery!
Each September, the English Riviera transforms itself into the murder mystery capital of the UK, with ladies and dapper chaps in their period finery gathering for tea parties, theatre, dinners on steam trains and vintage bus tours. Perhaps one of the more fun and quintessentially eccentric book events in the country, the annual award-winning Agatha Christie Festival is an absolute must-do for fans of the Queen of Crime.