On a pleasant sunny morning, the New Delhi World Book Fair at Pragati Maidan is reasonably abuzz with activity. By Team Viva
If the idea of surrounding yourself with books gives you a throwback feel and comfort, then the ongoing New Delhi World Book Fair is where you should be. People trotted around with a baggage of books purchased from the fair, including several titles by evergreen authors. Many of them expressed their happiness at the arrangements made at the festival. “We had less cash with us but it was a relief to see that almost all the stalls are accepting cards. There is also a mobile ATM van and I think sufficient arrangements have been made for a hassle-free fair,” said Ankush Bhatia, a visitor.
The theme of this year is Manushi, focussing on writings on and by women, from ancient times till the present. The Pavilion had an impressive ambience, decked with hoardings and posters of women scholars and writers. “We have a large collection of works by women. Some of them are in Hindi and Urdu, while others are in English. And it came to us as a pleasant surprise that the buyers for these books are not only women but also the men. They all seem interested,” said Sandeep Ahuja from Surachna Publications. Over 600 books on and by women in different genres and in all major Indian languages were on display. Sandeep also told us that panels and posters of major women authors, saint-poets, philosophers, and social reformers belonging to the ancient medieval India as well as modern India will also be displayed.
“Out of all the languages, there has been an increase in sales for Urdu language books. Young students are finding the poetry and the Urdu literature very fascinating. Though compared to other language books, the sales are not very high but there has been an increase for sure,” said Alam Khan from Al-Sayeed Publications.
The fair not only features stalls by eminent publishing houses like Penguin Random House, Macmillan and Harper Collins, but is also playing host to an eclectic mix of events like book releases, panel discussions and cultural dance performances, among other things.
Talking about the reading habits of the people, Kamlesh Bhai Sharma, from Milestone Publishers, said, “There was a survey that took place some time back in which Delhi was ranked as the most well-read city. And even I have been experiencing this from past five years in this fair that people purchase a whole lot of books. They wait for such fairs as there are many stalls offering a book for as low as Rs100. Also, as a publisher, our sales every years can speak more about the increasing reading habits of the people.” He also believed that despite the rise of social media and smartphones, the younger generation especially, has shown healthy interest in reading printed books. “World Book Fair is a platform where their interests can be sustained,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Hall 11, which housed all the Hindi book stalls, witnessed lesser footfalls. “It is not like people are less interested in Hindi language books. The sales are pretty good and the gathering increases gradually. In fact, this year we have started off better in terms of sale than last year,” said Naveen Pant from Pant Publications.
While the publishers have seen an upsurge in sales of the Hindi books, they said that the readers are now coming from all walks of life. “Hindi book readers are in a better position than ever. Earlier the buyers were either college or university teachers or aged people. Now we find many young boys and girls coming to the stall and asking about different writers and their work,” said Sayeed Ibrahim.
The fair also showcased the global literature in Hall 7. The Pavilion had stalls from parts of the world. The Embassy of France, in association with its cultural wing, Institut Français India created the Publication Assistance Programme — PAP Tagore, whose aim is to support publication projects from French to all Indian languages. “The French literature is as diverse as the Indian literature and these stalls here are to celebrate the richness of Indian and French intellection. Also, we have been getting a positive response by the crowd. There are mostly students coming to the stalls and checking out the works of French literature. And not just our stall, we have noticed that the people go and check out almost every stall in the Pavilion. They seem fascinated by the foreign literature,” said Alain Hartingh from le French Publishers.
As many as 19 countries, including China, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan and Iran, have participated in the Fair with books on various subjects of science, humanities and arts.
One of the most appealing among all international participations at the fair this year is an exhibition of photographs titled New Homelands: The Indian Diaspora in the European Union, that has attempted to chronicle the lives of Indians who have settled in different parts of Europe. The exhibition provided fresh insights into the links between the people of EU and India.
Nearly 800 publishers from across the country and abroad are participating in the fair, making it a grand celebration of books and writers. The book fair concludes on January 15.