Sir Salman Rushdie, the British author of Indian origin who had to miss the Jaipur Literature Festival earlier in 2012, is one of the main attractions, along with this friend Martin Amis, at the 10-day literary festival at Hay-on-Wye in Powys, Wales, which kicks off on May 31.
The annual festival, which was founded by British actor and director Peter Florence in 1988, has spread all across the world and there are literary 15 festivals under the Hay franchise, including the one in Kerala.
The Hay Festival, regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious literary festivals, is for the first time screening Bollywood films Rang De Basanti, Khosla Ka Ghosla, and Firaaq on the sidelines and will host a discussion between Anupam Kher, Nandita Das and Soha Ali Khan and author William Dalrymple and BBC journalist Nik Gowing about perceptions and cultural visions of 21st century India. The films will be screened multiple times at the festival.

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Lagerfeld apologises to Adele, sends Chanel bags
Chanel boss Karl Lagerfeld has reportedly sent Chanel bags to British singer Adele to apologise for calling her fat.
The fashion designer has gifted the 23-year-old singer a collection of Chanel bags, reported Sun online.
“He told his team to send Adele the best the fashion house have to offer after hearing she collected bags. He really wanted to make it up to her so they could maybe work together in the future. He could see her fronting a campaign for Chanel bags when the contract with Blake Lively ends,” a source said. “He’s annoyed with himself because he ended up insulting her when he meant to compliment her,” the source added. — PTI

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Mirren to co-host royal pageant
Queen star Helen Mirren is set to come face to face with the British Queen once more after signing up to host a Diamond Jubilee pageant in May.
Mirren, 66, portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in the hit 2006 film and they subsequently met in 2008 and again in 2011. Now, the actress is in line for a third meeting after agreeing to help introduce acts during a show at England’s Windsor Castle in honour of the royal’s 60 years on the throne, reported Contactmusic. “We have been overwhelmed by the goodwill and support from stars across the globe, who each have their own personal memories of the Queen,” said Simon Brooks Ward, the show’s director and producer.
— PTI

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Man in 30s stabbed at Jessie j party
A man in his 30s is in a “serious condition” after being stabbed by a bottle in the neck following a London party at which pop star Jessie J performed.
The victim is in a hospital after being attacked following the Price Tag singer’s performance at a bash last night, reported Sun online. Jessie, 24, finished her set at the Pulse underground nightclub off Southwark Street and guests were heading to the cloakrooms when a fight is believed to have broken out. “One of the door men was also covered in blood. Everyone tried to leave but the organisers weren’t geared up for it and there was a huge rush to get to the cloakroom. People were crying and quite a lot were being sick,” a source said. — PTI

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Brand gives perry $65.m marital home ownership
Russell Brand is one step closer to severing all ties with Katy Perry because he’s given estranged wife Katy Perry all rights to the luxurious $6.5 million mansion, the couple had purchased together when they were married.
A quitclaim deed filed in Los Angeles indicates that it’ all a part of a property settlement agreement between the pair, TMZ reported.
The move comes as the 27-year-old pop star has travelled to India, where the couple got engaged and subsequently married in October 2010.
The former couple had tied the knot in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, the same location where Brand proposed to Perry in 2009.
— ANI