William Dalrymple is the author of eight acclaimed works of history and travel, including, most recently, Return of the King: The Battle for Afghanistan 1839-42, currently a No.1 bestseller in India. He divides his time between New Delhi and London, and is a contributor to The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, and The Guardian.

Welcome to Jaipur for the coolest and most inspired literary festival in the world. Festival founder William Dalrymple writes in Newsweek about how it all got started—and how it’s become a destination.

Nearly a year ago British author William Dalrymple set off on a world tour with Sufi mystics and stoned Bengali musicians to promote his new book, Nine Lives. He tells the story of his hilarious adventures from getting them through customs to calling forth a deity in Australia.