No, there was no Nano unveiled there, as at the auto expo, yet the 18th Delhi world Book Fair was a hit, like it is every year. During the fair, Pragati Maidan, the venue, is a haven for not just those who breathe words. Even those who long to jump out of their hole in the affable weather that the otherwise hostile Delhi has in the early months take a stroll through the fair, munching goodies and watching, among others, books. This year’s fair, held from February 2 to 10, had a major part of Delhi, 12 lakh visitors, thronging the avenue. They wisely chose from, or simply flipped through the volume displayed by 1,343 participants from 22 countries (including ILO, WHO, UNICEF and EU) or just chilled out.
Giving the serious reader his due, the fair was a feast. The book stock ranged from literature on Mahatma Gandhi to Russian literature to books on the Right To Information Act to graphic novels. And making them further happy were discounts. “This event is like being in the biggest book shop ever I am having an amazing time,” gushed Chitra Khatri, a literature student.
Chitra was just one among the many who helped sales increase by almost 70% this year, according to National Book Trust official. While more than one lakh tickets were sold, school and college children, apart from librarians, were allowed free entry, thereby ensuring a steady stream of young people.
The casual visitors also had an array of programs to choose from. From known names launching their books (Salman Khurhseed and Gulzar) to novelists talking about their forthcoming works, each publishing house had something lined up to draw eyeballs. Authors were at the stalls of their publishers, awaiting their fans (and prospective fans). Chetan Bhagat, author of Five Point someone and One Night @ the Call Centre, was at the Rupa stall busy signing copies and posing for pictures. “I travel to meet my fans but events such as the book fair are a great platform to meet people,” he said.
This year’s ‘Guest of Honour Country’ at the fair, which is the biggest in the Afro-Asian region, was Russia. On the opening day, Russians dressed in traditional costumes and welcomed holding books. “I want to see if they have any Baba Yaga tales,” squealed Neha Bansal, an excited 20-year-old, who had grown up reading the tales. While books at the stalls were in Russian, there were also quite a few translations in Hindi and English. Margarita Petrova, a Russian publisher, said that most of the people visiting the stalls were interested in books on music and crafts. “We have also had children coming to our stall; the colourful illustrations and storylines have really caught their fancy.”
A major draw at the book fair was an exhibition featuring works on and by Mahatma Gandhi titled, ‘In Words and Deed’ that had close to 1200 titles. “While all of us know about Gandhi, his works and life, books give you a deeper insight into a person,” said Hari Beri, a marketing executive.
The stalls that had books on self-help were also favourite hangouts. “We have had youngsters coming either to buy books or to make enquiries,” said an Osho stall member.
However, the stall that drew a lot of crowd was the one on the RTI Act. “The book fair attracts people from all walks of life, from school children to professionals, and hence is a great platform to tell people more about RTI,” Javed Khan, who works with the NGO Kabir that set up the stall, said. People were seen leaving the stall clutching leaflets, CDs and newsletters.
And while fiction was a huge draw, another genre that was in the limelight was graphic novel, which came up in a discussion o0n the future of comic books in India. Writers like Sarnath Bannerjee and Orijit Sen voted for the genre. “Contemporary India needs a contemporary way of storytelling,” said Sarnath, while Sen felt that graphic novels are a “powerful way of telling stories as they combine so many art forms.” Apart from Bannerjee’s works, another graphic novel that is awaiting market response is Amruta Patil’s Kari.
And finally, the forecast. “According to me, 2006 was the year of young fiction, 2007 of biographies, but 2008 will be a mixed bag,” said Kapish Mehra of Rupa publications.
Though the fair began in fits and starts, (the weather played havoc), as it progressed, it got a steady flow of visitors. And it left an impact, though not on the auto expo scale.
Courtesy: “Fair Ground” by Nikita Doval (The Writers’ World), The Week, Feb.24, 2008
Giving the serious reader his due, the fair was a feast. The book stock ranged from literature on Mahatma Gandhi to Russian literature to books on the Right To Information Act to graphic novels. And making them further happy were discounts. “This event is like being in the biggest book shop ever I am having an amazing time,” gushed Chitra Khatri, a literature student.
Chitra was just one among the many who helped sales increase by almost 70% this year, according to National Book Trust official. While more than one lakh tickets were sold, school and college children, apart from librarians, were allowed free entry, thereby ensuring a steady stream of young people.
The casual visitors also had an array of programs to choose from. From known names launching their books (Salman Khurhseed and Gulzar) to novelists talking about their forthcoming works, each publishing house had something lined up to draw eyeballs. Authors were at the stalls of their publishers, awaiting their fans (and prospective fans). Chetan Bhagat, author of Five Point someone and One Night @ the Call Centre, was at the Rupa stall busy signing copies and posing for pictures. “I travel to meet my fans but events such as the book fair are a great platform to meet people,” he said.
This year’s ‘Guest of Honour Country’ at the fair, which is the biggest in the Afro-Asian region, was Russia. On the opening day, Russians dressed in traditional costumes and welcomed holding books. “I want to see if they have any Baba Yaga tales,” squealed Neha Bansal, an excited 20-year-old, who had grown up reading the tales. While books at the stalls were in Russian, there were also quite a few translations in Hindi and English. Margarita Petrova, a Russian publisher, said that most of the people visiting the stalls were interested in books on music and crafts. “We have also had children coming to our stall; the colourful illustrations and storylines have really caught their fancy.”
A major draw at the book fair was an exhibition featuring works on and by Mahatma Gandhi titled, ‘In Words and Deed’ that had close to 1200 titles. “While all of us know about Gandhi, his works and life, books give you a deeper insight into a person,” said Hari Beri, a marketing executive.
The stalls that had books on self-help were also favourite hangouts. “We have had youngsters coming either to buy books or to make enquiries,” said an Osho stall member.
However, the stall that drew a lot of crowd was the one on the RTI Act. “The book fair attracts people from all walks of life, from school children to professionals, and hence is a great platform to tell people more about RTI,” Javed Khan, who works with the NGO Kabir that set up the stall, said. People were seen leaving the stall clutching leaflets, CDs and newsletters.
And while fiction was a huge draw, another genre that was in the limelight was graphic novel, which came up in a discussion o0n the future of comic books in India. Writers like Sarnath Bannerjee and Orijit Sen voted for the genre. “Contemporary India needs a contemporary way of storytelling,” said Sarnath, while Sen felt that graphic novels are a “powerful way of telling stories as they combine so many art forms.” Apart from Bannerjee’s works, another graphic novel that is awaiting market response is Amruta Patil’s Kari.
And finally, the forecast. “According to me, 2006 was the year of young fiction, 2007 of biographies, but 2008 will be a mixed bag,” said Kapish Mehra of Rupa publications.
Though the fair began in fits and starts, (the weather played havoc), as it progressed, it got a steady flow of visitors. And it left an impact, though not on the auto expo scale.
Courtesy: “Fair Ground” by Nikita Doval (The Writers’ World), The Week, Feb.24, 2008
