Jaipur, Jan 21 (IANS) Booker Prize 2015 winner Marlon James’s first trip to India turned out to be a bitter one. The Jamaica-born writer poured out his woes as he caught a connecting flight to Jaipur from Delhi.
James landed in Delhi on Wednesday to participate in the ninth edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival which began here on Thursday.
The first Jamaican to win the Booker Prize for his novel “A Brief History of Seven Killings”, James described his harrowing experience in a Facebook post.
He said he got into a jeep to reach another terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport but “they won’t let me in because it seems I don’t have a ticket”.
The writer became upset that he was asked to show proof that he indeed had a seat on the connecting flight.
His misery went up when he was told that his hand luggage was eight kilograms heavier and asked to show his ID.
And he learnt to his dismay that his bags were not going on to the plane as they had not been security checked.
James had to go back to the baggage drop. And now he was informed that his bag was overweight by 12 kg — not eight. “Just like that it went up by 4 (kg)?” the disgusted writer asked.
James felt bad he was asked about his belt. The fact that he had not slept for 27 hours didn’t help.
“I just want to board my flight. Oh, it’s delayed, you say? Nice first impression, India,” read the post.
The post got an overwhelming response, with many supporting the author and corroborating their own bad experience with airports and air travel in India.