'Business class flights out to Dubai, five-star hotel accommodation and three meals a day plus snacks... My God, I thought, are all lit fests like this?'

Business class flights out to Dubai, five-star hotel accommodation and three meals a day, plus snacks — all paid for. A greenroom where wine was served 24 hours a day. Chauffeur-driven cars... My God, I thought, are all literary festivals like this?