New Delhi: The World Book Fair 2024 underway at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi is drawing bibliophiles and literature enthusiasts of all age group and from all walks of life, with books available across all genres and subjects, and in all languages. While books from genres including fiction, non-fiction, children’s literature, science & technology, personality development, biographies & autobiographies, business, and art & culture, besides textbooks, supplementary reading material, and educational aids, are on display, mythology, self-help and classics have emerged as most preferred genres, according to the National Book Trust, the organiser of the annual fair.
The book fair started on February 10 and will be open until Sunday, February 18.
“Although some genres and subjects are commonly sought after by readers of varying ages, but this year it is interesting to see that people are searching for books that connect them to their roots and their own culture,” the trust said in a press release.
“This time the interest of children and youth towards books has increased. They are buying more mythological books. Children want to read Ramayana and Mahabharata and youth are demanding books published in regional languages to understand their culture,” a publisher was quoted as saying in the release. “Although books are mostly published in Hindi and English, in order to be proud of their local culture or to reconnect with it, the youth are demanding that books should also be published in other regional languages including Gujarati, Marathi, Bangla, and others.”
Stalls at the book fair range from competitive literature such as Pratiyogita Darpan to fiction and non-fiction by publishers such as Bloomsbury, Penguin, Crossword, and others.
Spain, Austria, Russia, Sri Lanka, Nepal At International Events Corner
On Day 5 of the fair, a delegation from Spain organised an interactive session on Spanish language and publishing at the International Events Corner. There was an ‘Engaging Espanol’ session too that delved into the role language plays in connecting people.
The Austrian Embassy organised a discussion on the evolving nature of Austrian literature in the global and digital era. Also present was the Institute for Literary Translation, Russia, which claimed to have been receiving numerous queries from readers of Russian classics. Russian works translated in various regional languages, Chekhov in Telugu for example, are said to be in high demand.
Nepal’s White Lotus Book Shop, which has been participating in the fair for decades, has come with poet Amar Akash. He released his debut poetry collection ‘Tungana’ at NDWBF 2024.
The Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association has brought various books, including those on Buddhism, local folktales, political science related texts, along with Tamil collections that are said to be receiving the most attention.
Books For Children
Eklavya Pitara, a children’s books publisher, is at the fair focusing on regional languages, crafting innovative stories and poems in dialects such as Bundelkhandi, Gondi, and Kurku. At their stall, children can be seen engaging in conversations about poetry, nature, and science.
There is also a toy-integrated learning zone at the book fair, which aims to spark creativity in kids and ignite young minds with immersive learning experiences.
Oswal Books and Learning has brought educational materials for all ages, including question banks and sample papers, while Pegasus has illustrated encyclopedias and moral stories for young learners, and BrijBasi is offering international interactive art sets and pop-up books.
A start-up publisher, who has books made of cloth and fabric, is also attending the fair.
Authors’ Corner
Dr. Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor in Chief, Business World, shared his perspective on the topic ‘Life of a Journalist in the Modern Age of Artificial Intelligence’ in the Authors’ Corner. Speaking about the integration of AI in media, and how India itself has evolved in its digital infrastructural prowess, he stressed that “Artificial Intelligence cannot take over in case of journalism as long as you are creating the original content which is beyond AI’s capability”.
Exhorting people to read more, he asserted: “Books are a great way to know about culture, they are our companions and real knowledge givers, Basant Panchami, it is the day of Goddess Saraswati, the knowledge givers, if you read more, you develop your perspective, critical thinking.”
A Kavi Sammelan Too
A Kavi Sammelan was organised on Wednesday at the amphitheatre, where acclaimed poets recited verses in Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Rajasthani, and Punjabi.
Among the poets present were Keshav Tiwari, Vinod Shrivastava, Shariq Kaifi, Madan Mohan Danish, Udayan Thakker, Ambika Dutt, and Sukhwinder Amrit.
The day also saw two book releases — Dr. Shyama Ghonse’s ‘Krantdarshi Mahatma Basaveshwar’ and Varsha Pargat’s ‘Shri Krishna’ — by BJP leader and former Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde. Former forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar was also present on the occasion.
“The thoughts of every great man are inspiring in themselves. Many of the sayings of Mahatma Basaveshwar ji are relevant even in today’s time. I am happy that the youth of today are reading good literature,” Tawde said.
Some of the eminent personalities who visited the fair Wednesday included authors J. Sai Deepak and Akshat Gupta, Karine Pansa (President, IPA), and Alison Barrett, Director, British Council India.
Former Rajya Sabha member KC Tyagi described the New Delhi Book Fair 2024 as “Upyogi bhi, shaandaar bhi aur jaandaar bhi”. He said this year’s fair was significantly larger in size, concept, and purpose.