Book fairs tight on information

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Two international book fairs in India, this month, but we know very little of their programs at this point. The organisers of both fairs haven’t provided much information to the press nor to the exhibitors, so far, and their websites consist of hardly more than an application form for participants. Information is reduced to triumphalistic paragraphs on past fairs, and all that’s been kept up-to-date are the costs of the exhibition booths. It looks as if the world is not changing around us and all that would count in these events would be to set up tent and wait what comes….

The Mumbai International Book Fair will be held 14-22 January at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. Its 5 previous editions since 2005 have been supported by a total of 220 different exhibitors, around 130 at the time, including a handful of international organisations, and with a heavy emphasis on educational publishing. The ten days’ fair is said to draw some 100,000 attendees every year, and, we are told, attempts are being made to focus more on trade visitors. We hope we can bring more on that in the next few weeks. 

As to the bi-annual New Delhi World Book Fair organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), there will be an inaugural event on Saturday 30 January, 2 PM at the Hamsadhwani Theatre, Pragati Maidan, after which the exhibition is to last until 7 February. In 2008, the event had 1343 exhibitors from 17 countries, and visiting crowds which are said to have exceeded the 1 million mark. Far from being a b2b event, the fair mainly serves to promote reading and stimulate book sales. The event’s principal theme is expected to coincide with NBT’s National Action Plan for Readership Development among the Youth, which was launched recently to address the needs of young readers in the age group of 15-25 years. Again, we hope we can provide more details later this month.

Following these fairs, a series of local book fairs has been planned by Rajasthan Patrika Events. Starting 13 to 21 February with a National Book Fair at the Bitthal Market Ground in Bhopal, this fair will then proceed to Indore and Ahmedabad.

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