Love books? Spend a few hours at Pragati Maidan

With books from all corners of the world on subjects as varied as one can possibly imagine and penned by authors of all hues--renowned, little known, as well as new writers on the block, the annual World Book Fair is ‘the treat’ that bibliophiles look forward to at the beginning of each year. Into its 42nd year, the World Book Fair currently on in Delhi, will continue till February 23.

The premier literature event also includes speakers who are best-selling authors, eminent journalists and Bollywood stars too. At the Fair this year, the focus is on ‘Literature for children’, with Poland as the guest country and participants from at least 25 countries who are aiming to promote the habit of reading amongst young and old alike through this event.

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the nine-day fair organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) in association with the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) at Pragati Maidan.

Cambridge University Press, one of the exhibitors have come out with ‘seven series’ for school books, consisting of all major subjects. “This year we have tried to make learning more interactive. 

We are providing CDs with every book so that a child can watch as well as follow the text books. This will make learning much more easier. We also have a teacher’s manual which can be a useful resource for them and help them in their teaching methods,” says Swati Luthra, senior marketing executive for Cambridge University Press.

Orient BlackSwan, another leading publisher is featuring their new books on the state of languages in India. “We are showcasing 53 volumes of books on People’s Linguistic Survey of India. These books are on various languages spoken in India in various regions and about their existence in today’s time. These books will provide all the information about these languages –- their origin, the region where they are spoken or whether they are becoming extinct each year,” said Kunal Jalati, assistant manager, marketing. Other than these books, this Orient BlackSwan also has various issues on Hindi and South film industry.

Interestingly, there is a stall which features a series of ‘175’, like 175 years of Indian cinema, 175 years of cartoons, 175 years of news events, 175 years of Bombay, by a leading media house.

Another highlight of the Book Fair is the ‘Kindle Paperwhite’ by Amazon. It is a device in which readers can spend time exploring the all-new reading features which includes Kindle Page Flip, Vocabulary Builder, Goodreads, new display technology with the next generation built-in light and a faster processor. The device can store 1,100 books at any given point of time and weighs a mere 170 grams! The device can operate for eight weeks if it is fully-charged.

Except for children’s books, which is the focus this year, one can also find readers flipping through the pages of various biographies in the Book Fair. From Yuvraj Singh and his fight with cancer to Sachin Tendulkar, there is something for everyone. There is a section dedicated to cookery books replete with bottles of spices and exotic condiments on sale while the stall showcasing biographies features tomes on famous designer Wendell Rodricks, former President APJ Abdul Kalam, famous lawyer Ram Jethmalani and even on former Army Chief VK Singh. Dedicate a day and lose yourself in the world of books.

The timing of the fair is from 11 am to 8 pm and the tickets available at the venue are priced Rs 20.