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Book fair focusing on skill development

Thinking ahead
Last Updated 25 August 2015, 18:31 IST

From storytelling sessions for slum children to discussing the issues plaguing Hindi publishing, the 21st edition of Delhi Book Fair is all set to attract book lovers from August 29 to September 6. This year, the focus of the fair is skill development and publishers from the National Capital Region would promote books focusing on various skills sets.

The Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) in association with India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) has been organising the fair for the past 20 years. “One can’t achieve anything without knowledge that comes from books. So going by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s skill development mission, we decided to focus on skill development books that are not merely restricted to soft skills and vocational training,” Ashok Gupta, president of FIP, tells Metrolife.

Over the years, the fate of bookshops has dwindled and so has readership because of the intrusion of technology in our lives. Gupta admits the book-reading scene isn’t vibrant, but believes platforms like the book fair can work as a catalyst to reinvigorate the lost love for books.

“If parents bring their children to the book fair, they would be spending quality time with their children. Book culture has always had a positive impact on children and at the fair they would be introduced to new authors and stories,” Gupta says.

“We have also invited school children, along with their teachers to visit the fair. Their entry is free. So by doing little things like these we hope to make a difference,” he adds.
This year, for the first time, the fair will be focusing on the challenges and issues Hindi publishers face. There would be a discussion on the last day of the fair where writers and publishers would try to address the problem.

Apart from this, a number of seminars, conferences, book releases and meet-the-author activities would happen at the business-to-consumer fair.

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(Published 25 August 2015, 15:45 IST)

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