Category: Book Festivals

The fan in Jaya spring out at with Shashi Tharoor visiting DWBF. Here is a synopsis of the event.

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I have been a fan of Shashi Tharoor’s on-stage charisma since the first time I heard him in-person at PAN IIT conference in December 2006 and he explained (using his wonderful oratory skills) how if US was a melting pot, India was a thali!! Since then I have read the transcripts of his speeches, and followed him on twitter, but never had an opportunity to hear him on stage.

Even after spending most of my time at Delhi World Book Fair lazily sitting at our stall (the books these days are all available online to buy!!), when I jumped at the news that Dr. Tharoor was coming and promptly made my way to Flipkart’s stall in hall 6, Abhaya was not surprised. He is aware of my fascination.

ST arrived dot on time and I could not help notice that he smiled in a way as if he wasn’t used to all the attention he was getting. Given how Indian politicians have to maintain a God-like persona during their campaigns and afterwards, it is difficult to believe. But charming nonetheless. 🙂

Since I don’t know when I would hear him on stage again, this time I decided to record it. Quality is, of course, constrained by the fact that I was using my regular camera to record it. 😀 Unfortunately the recording has become too long and I am unable to upload it on Youtube. So, let me try to summarize some of my take-aways.

The one question I asked him was whether he was planning to write any fiction in near future. He said that fiction is his first love and he would like to return to it. But finding time for writing with the busy schedule of a political career is difficult. And writing fiction requires not only time, but also a space in your head. You create an alternate world. If you are interrupted and are away from that world for weeks, it becomes difficult to continue writing.

Anyone who has tried to write long fiction will identify with the problem. And Abhaya should be more tolerant of my being completely absorbed in that alternate world of mine when I am writing my next book. 😀

However, ST added that he has a few stories in his mind and once his current non-fiction project is over, he will try to write a short novel. I really want to read a more recent fiction from him as I felt that I had tried to read ‘The Great Indian Novel’ 20 years too late. Today I got a copy of “Show Business” (signed, of course!) and am looking forward to reading it.

He read a chapter/scene each from his books “Bookless in Baghdad” and “Riot”. He had cleverly chosen a chapter from “Riot”, where he makes fun of his own “The Great Indian Novel”. Self-deprecating humour is not something you can expect to see in most Indian politicians! Plus he also had very progressive answers to questions related to online buying and experience of reading e-books. Specifically on reading e-books/online he said that more than a substitute of physical book reading, it is an alternative and can enhance the reading experience. For example, through hyperlinks you can instantly look up the meaning of a word or figure out where this character last came in a story.Though they won’t mean much to people who don’t look up the dictionary or who are happy to flip through the pages to find where a particular character had come last, he said referring to people like himself.

We (at Pothi.com) agree to the basic idea that neither print books are going to go away (because they have a charm); nor e-books are going to be stopped from becoming mainstream (because they have a value). Right, right! Making a case for our Print on Demand as well as e-book businesses! 😀

To conclude, I return as a happy creature from DWBF because of this opportunity to hearing ST, even though it has been tiring otherwise.

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Other Links related to DWBF

1. Breakinge-publishing myths – Jaya‘s talk at the e-publishing seminar
   
2. Photographs and other updates on our Facebook page

Book Fairs Around the World – II (April-July 2011)

If you’re interested in participating in important book fairs around the world, it’s helpful to know the schedule of fairs. Here’s our final listing of international book fairs planned from August to December 2011.

1. Bogotá International Book Fair, Bogotá, Colombia: 4—16 May 2011

   This is said to be the largest and most important cultural and industrial event in the Latin American region. Started in 1988, the fair sees visitors and participants from the Andean region, Central America, the Caribbean region and the United States. Last year, there were 90 exhibitors and 4,00,000 visitors. The fair is open to trade visitors as well as the general public. Website: http://www.feriadellibro.com (in Spanish, no English option available)

2. Beijing International Book Fair, Beijing, China: 31 August—4 September 2011

   Started in 1986, the principle of the Beijing International Book Fair is to introduce “excellent books from around the world into China and leading Chinese books to the world”. The previous event was held in an area spread across 43,000 square metres and had 1840 exhibitors. This year, its 18th event will be held in a new venue, China International Exhibition, which is said to be more advanced, modern and user-friendly and covers 53,600 square meters. The Netherlands will be the Country of Honour. The fair is open to trade visitors and the general public. Website: http://www.bibf.net

3. Rio de Janeiro International Book Fair, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 1—11 September 2011

   The Rio de Janeiro International Book Fair, called Bienal Do Livero Rio in Spanish, is the most important literary event in Brazil. It is held every alternate year, so the 28-year-old fair will hold its 15th event this year. The venue is the huge Riocentro, with a total floor area of 5,71,000 square metres. There are several regular events. ‘Literary Café’ conducts informal and intimate chats with international as well as Brazilian authors, where they discuss the creative process, ideas, books, genres and more. In ‘Books on the Scene,’ famous people from cinema, theatre and television are invited to read selected excerpts from the works of important Brazilian writers. The ‘Book Forest’ is set up in an imaginative setting that covers 800 square metres and offers children the opportunity of being immersed and transported by books and narratives. Another interesting and unique section is called ‘Women Only,’ where women writers, journalists and literary celebrities gather to discuss a wide variety of topics (new topics each day) from the female perspective. Unlike many other book fairs, which are formal, the Rio de Janeiro International Book Fair exudes a warm, lively and cheerful atmosphere. It is open to trade as well as the general public. Website: http://www.bienaldolivro.com.br/

4. Göteborg Book Fair, Göteborg, Sweden: 22—25 September 2011

   The Göteborg Book Fair is said to be the biggest meeting place for the book trade in the Nordic countries. This 27th edition of the fair will be held at the Swedish Exhibition Centre with a total exhibition area of 13,257 square metres. The German language, with countries Germany, Austria and Switzerland, will be in focus. Thirty authors have been invited to participate in seminars and other programmes related to the German language theme, including Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller, Felicitas Hoppe, award-winning member of the German Academy for Language and Literature, and Austrian Doron Rabinovici. The fair will conduct activities in three sections simultaneously: a programme of seminars and events, numerous exhibition halls with related activities and special stages, and the International Rights Centre for professionals buying and selling rights. Last year, the fair saw 97,053 visitors. There were 920 exhibitors and 441 seminars. The balance is 30% trade and 70% general public. Website: http://www.bok-bibliotek.se/en/

5. Nairobi International Book Fair, Nairobi, Kenya: 28 September—2 October 2011

   The 14th Nairobi International Book Fair, organized by the Kenya Publishers Association, will be held at the Sarit Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The theme for the fair this year is ‘Read for Empowerment’. The website explains the theme thus: “Books, whether creative works or factual texts, serve as a reflection of the society from which the writers are drawn. It is therefore our duty to ensure that society is able to communicate effectively on issues that confront it and do so through books.” The Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature Award will be presented at the fair. Workshops and seminars are planned, as are activities for children and new writers. There will be a big book sale with heavy discounts. The fair will showcase books in various genres in their book exhibition and is open to the general public as well as to trade visitors. Website: http://www.kenyapublishers.org/nairobi_bookfair.html

6. LIBER Madrid International Book Fair, Madrid, Spain: 5—7 October 2011

   LIBER is said to be the leading professional event of the publishing industry in Spain and Latin America and one of the most important in the world. Started in 1983, the fair is held every year, in Madrid and Barcelona alternately, so the 2010 LIBER was in Barcelona and the previous LIBER Madrid was in 2009. The Reading Promotion Awards, given to the communications media in the categories of Radio, Television and Press, is “the Liber Tribute to an institution or person in recognition of their work in favour of books”. The other awards given during the fair are the Boixareu Ginesta Award to the bookseller of the year and the Award for Promoting Reading in Public Libraries. The fair is open to trade visitors only. In 2009, there were 257 exhibitors and 20,325 visitors. The 2010 edition saw about 15,000 business visitors. Website: http://www.ifema.es/web/ferias/liber/default.html

7. Frankfurt Book Fair, Frankfurt, Germany: 12—16 October 2011 

   The Frankfurt Book Fair, held annually in October, is the most important marketplace for books, media, rights and licences worldwide. The history of the fair dates back to the 15th century. Every year the fair sees about 7,300 exhibitors from 100 countries, and 2,99,000 visitors. The guest of honour this year is Iceland. Frankfurt SPARKS is a new section that focuses on digital publishing and looks at the union of publishing with technology and the associated opportunities, partnerships and ideas. In the outdoor area is the traditional Spiegel marquee, where readers get to spend some time with their favourite authors through readings and book signings. Apart from all the offerings at the indoor fair, the 30-year-old Art & Creativity Market outside offers visitors handicraft products like jewellery, leather goods and books made of stone from about 100 stands. The Frankfurt Book Fair is open to trade visitors as well as the general public. Website: http://www.buchmesse.de/en/fbf/

Read Part I here.

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Continuing our listing of international book fairs, here are the most important international book fairs planned from April to July 2011. Another, final, list will include the fairs planned for the rest of the year.

London Book Fair, London, UK: 11—13 April 2011

Conducted every spring, the London Book Fair will conduct its 40^th event in the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Kensington, London, this year. Bestselling authors Claire Tomalin, Boris Akunin and Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler are ‘Authors of the Day’ this time and will each spend a day at the fair offering seminars, book signings, events and photo opportunities. This year, the market focus will be Russia. In the ‘Digital Zone Theatre’ section, e-books and digital content-related products will be showcased, with 50 companies participating. Every year, the Lifetime Achievement Award in International Publishing is given during this fair and this year the recipient is Sonny Mehta, Editor-in-Chief of Alfred A Knopf publishers. The ‘Film and TV’ section will bring together film and television producers, with over 300 literary agencies and publishers offering content with screen adaptation potential, as well as a full seminar programme and networking events. In all, around 2000 companies are participating in the fair this year. The website says, “Over 23,000 publishing professionals from every point in the publishing supply chain attend The London Book Fair annually”. Website: http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk.

Budapest International Book Festival, Budapest, Hungary: 14—17 April 2011

This trade show, in its 18^th edition in 2011, is said to be “one of the largest book fairs in Central and Eastern Europe” and is held at the end of April every year. Rather than a book fair alone, it is a festival of combined arts with literary evenings, book premières, talks, film screenings, theatre performances and exhibitions being conducted over the four days. The Budapest Grand Prize is given each year during the festival. The European Union is the guest of honour this year. The European First Novel Festival will be held for the 11^th time within the frame of the festival, to introduce talented young authors from the European Union, a joint effort of 19 EU-member countries. Trade meetings, conferences and lectures are held on the key issues of the book market and of reading habits. Librarians’ Club, the professional event of librarians, is one of the special features of the festival. The fair gets about 50,000 visitors annually, with 50,000 titles and hundreds of new publications. It is open to trade visitors as well as the general public. Website: http://www.bookfestival.hu/angol.html

International Book Fair of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina: 20 April—9 May 2011

This long established fair will conduct its 37^th event at La Rural Trade Centre, Buenos Aires. It is said to be one of the top five book expositions in the world. Open to trade visitors and the general public, the International Book Fair of Buenos Aires is the largest book fair in the Spanish-speaking world. The Professional Conference and National Meeting of Librarians will be held on 19, 20 and 21 April. The International Education Conference will be conducted on 19 and 20 April. Foreign guests invited include Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa, Zambian author Wilbur Smith, Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro, French sociologist François Dubet, Spanish Rosa Montero, Juan Jose Millas and Antonio Muñoz Molina, among others. The International Poetry Festival will be held from 29 April to 3 May. Free courses are offered. Some of the topics for discussion and exposition are flash fiction, art shows, copyrights and translation rights. Website: http://www.el-libro.org.ar

Geneva International Book and Press Fair, Geneva, Switzerland: April 29—3 May 2011

The 2011 edition of the Geneva International Book and Press Fair will mark its silver jubilee year. The fair is said to be the largest cultural and educational meeting place organised each year in Switzerland. Some of the features of the fair include the Grand Exhibition, presenting “Art of freemasonry” with exhibits made available by collectors, never before been shown in public; special exhibitions, which include “100 years of Gallimard” and Etienne Delessert with 80 original drawings; the Village de la BD (Graphic Novel Village) and events like the Book Kitchen, the Treasure Hunt and a book-aid charity. The guest of honour this year is Armenia. Two new innovations this year will be the Laboratoire Des Nouvelles Lectures (Laboratory of New Reading) and the Le Temps De Le Dire (Time to Speak Out) Festival. Following the principle of social networks, the laboratory of new reading offers a platform to editors, authors and inventors to present their ideas or prototypes on a web platform where readers can review and react to them. The Time to Speak Out festival, led by Patrick Ferla, the new president of the fair, aims to meet the expectations of publishers and the public by providing a global forum for reading and editing. In an area exclusively set aside for it, the festival will offer debates, meetings and discussions on various themes, as well as public readings given by authors, actors and theatre groups. This festival brings together 100,000 professionals each year and is open to trade and the general public. Webite: http://www.salondulivre.ch/en/

Thessaloniki Book Fair, Thessaloniki, Greece: 5—8 May 2011

The 7^th Thessaloniki Book Fair presents Greek and international books to an audience of publishing professionals, the media, schools and the public. About 250 Greek and foreign exhibitors will participate this year. More than 100 events, with writers from Greece and abroad, are organised in this fair that is held every spring. Attractions include an exhibition, guests of honour and dedicated areas for children, teenagers, parents and teachers. The guest of honour is the Middle East. This year’s theme is ‘Education and Books.’ The New Technologies Corner will bring news of the latest trends. The fair is open to trade visitors as well as the general public. Website: http://www.thessalonikibookfair.com/2011/index_en.asp

Prague International Book Fair, Prague, Czech Republic: 12—15 May 2011

The 17^th International Book Fair and Literary Festival, also called ‘Book World Prague’ will be held in 2011. The guest of honour will be the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the focus will be the literature of the Arab world, along with different categories of books such as fiction, non-fiction, scientific journals, children’s books, and so on, from international and domestic literature. The fair would be a place to find large numbers of rare prints and old books at one place. It is open to trade as well as visitors of the general public. Website: http://www.bookworld.cz/en/menu/general-info/

Warsaw International Book Fair, Warsaw, Poland: 19—22 May 2011

The 56^th Warsaw International Book Fair will be conducted in in the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw in 2011. For authors, publishers, booksellers, agents and editors from around the world, the fair is an annual interface between Western and Eastern European publishers. The last show had representatives from around 30 countries and nearly 600 exhibitors. It is open to trade alone on one day and to the general public on other days. Website: http://arspolona.com.pl/index.php/lg/1

BookExpo America, New York City, USA: 23—26 May 2011

Book Expo America, commonly known as BEA, is the largest annual book trade fair in the United States and is held in a different place in the US each year. Special to this year’s fair are breakfast events (each of which requires a ticket to be purchased). On 24 May is the Children’s Book Author Breakfast with Brian Selznick, Sarah Dessen and Kevin Henkes. The next day is the Adult Book Author Breakfast with Diane Keaton, Jeffrey Eugenides, and Charlaine Harris. On 26 May is another Adult Book Author Breakfast with Anne Enright and Erik Larson. The 2011 Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC), the premier event in the audiobook industry, will be held on Monday, 23 May at the Javits Center. In ‘Insight Stage’ influential authors and publishing figures will discuss the latest books, and hot topics that will move the industry forward in the coming year. BEA boasts the largest author autographing program in the US. During BEA 2011, visitors can meet authors like Dave Barry, Mary Higgins Clark, Eoin Colfer, Gail Carson Levine, R L Stine and Rick Riordan. Italy is the guest of honour at the Global Market Forum. Last year’s BEA saw 11,538 visitors and had 1,253 exhibitors. The BEA is a trade-only fair. Website: http://www.bookexpoamerica.com

Cape Town Book Fair, Cape Town, South Africa: June 2011

The Cape Town Book Fair organisers announce that the fair will not be held in 2011, but will be conducted in a new, remodelled format in 2012. In 2010, the fair had the participation of 273 exhibitors, with about 33,500 visitors, of which 4700 were professionals. Started in 2005, the Cape Town Book Fair conducts seminars and provides opportunities for meeting and discussions between industry professionals. Last year, the first day was open to trade visitors alone while the other days had author events and readings with famous writers from around the world. Website: http://www.capetownbookfair.com

Seoul International Book Fair, Seoul, Korea: 15—19 June 2011

While the Seoul Book Fair started in 1954, the first Seoul International Book Fair was held in 1995. Organised by the Organizing Committee for the Seoul International Book Fair, the event is held every spring. The Seoul International Book Fair is the only large-scale exhibition held at the COEX that is free and open to the public. It draws over 200,000 visitors and gets extensive media coverage. The book fair has a vast collection of books from around the world on display, and offers consultation on copyright and trading. There are special exhibits and events for visitors. Readers get to meet and speak with book authors. There is also a photograph-taking event with authors at certain scheduled times, in which the first 100 visitors are given a personally signed book and a framed souvenir photo of themselves and their favourite author. The Seoul International Book Fair is open to trade and public visitors. Website: http://www.sibf.or.kr/eng/

Tokyo International Book Fair, Tokyo, Japan: 7—10 July 2011

In its 18^th year, Asia’s leading publishing trade fair, the Tokyo International Book Fair is an important venue to negotiate publication rights, book imports and exports, and other related businesses with publishing professionals in Japan and Asia. Its special exhibit zones include the Children’s Book Fair, Natural Sciences Book Fair, Humanities & Social Sciences Book Fair, Editorial Production Fair, Lifestyle, Hobby & How to Books Zone, Book’s Accessories Zone, Solutions for Publication Distribution Zone and the International Printing Zone. Last year, 984 exhibitors participated and the fair saw about 87,450 publishing professionals visiting. Concurrent exhibitions are conducted at this time, including the ‘15^th e-book Expo Tokyo’ that focuses on digital publishing; ‘Licensing Japan,’ a comprehensive trade show for the global licensing community industry interested in developing business in Japan and East Asia; and ‘IT Educational Solutions Expo,’ an educational industry trade show for educational content, technologies and services for schools. Website: http://www.bookfair.jp/en/

A book fair is a meeting point for the many kinds of people associated with books—publishers, authors, readers, distributors, retailers. Since these people usually work in relative isolation, a book fair provides the opportunity to meet, discover and discuss the latest developments in the field in that part of the world—the latest way of publishing, a new and popular genre of writing as well as to see which stalls do the most business, which reveals the readership, current trends, and the like.

A trade book fair is one in which only companies of the industry participate and showcase the latest developments and trends, network with other professionals, get publicity for their work and see what the competition is doing as well. A trade fair is open only to professionals in the industry and representatives of the companies. A consumer book fair is one that is open to the public.

The oldest book fair in the world is the Frankfurt Book Fair, which dates back to the 15th century, when Johannes Gutenberg from Frankfurt first invented movable type. This was the central and undisputed European book fair city until the 17^th century when political upheavals began. Later, in 1949, the early Frankfurt book fair tradition was given a new lease of life with 205 German exhibitors exhibiting in the first post-War book fair. The present Frankfurt Book Fair starts counting its official duration from this date, so that its event in 2011 is the 62^nd one.

Here are some of the most important international book fairs coming up this year. The first list here is of events planned for February and March 2011. Further lists will include book fairs planned for the rest of the year.

1. Cairo International Book Fair, Cairo, Egypt: 29 January—8 February 2011

   Organized every year, starting in the last week of January, by the Ministry of Culture and the Egyptian General Book Organization this fair is open for trade and to the general public. This event started from Al-Gezira grounds in Cairo in 1969 so it is one of the world’s oldest fairs, in its 43^rd year in 2011. Last year, 31 countries and 800 publishers (majority Egyptian, then Arab, and 62 foreign) participated in the fair. It draws about 2 million visitors every year. Website: http://www.cairobookfair.org
   

2. Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE), Taipei, Taiwan: 9—14 February 2011

   The TIBE is called “the gateway to Asian and Chinese book markets” and will have its 19^th event in 2011. The fair is open to trade and public. In 2010, 58 countries and 883 exhibitors participated. The TIBE is one of the largest book exhibitions in Asia with publishers from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and European countries participating every year. TIBE 2011 will have more international publishers and writers and more in-depth events for publishing professionals including the Asian Publishing Forum, Digital Publishing Forum, Librarian’s Workshop, Children’s Literature Forum, Book Design Forum, Editor’s Workshop, and Translator’s Workshop. Website: www.tibe.org.tw
   

3. Vilnius International Book Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania: 17—20 February 2011

   The 12^th international Vilnius Book Fair will be conducted in the Lithuanian Exhibition Centre LITEXPO, Laisves pr. 5, Vilnius. This distinctive feature of this fair open to trade and public is the abundance of cultural events, especially meetings with well-known Lithuanian and foreign writers. Every year, the Vilnius Book Fair highlights one concrete topic. This time the topic is ‘Literature without frontiers, the links between culture and politics’. The topic is dedicated to the 100^th birth anniversary of the Polish writer-poet and Nobel Prize winner Czesław Miłosz. The fair also commemorates the 100^th death anniversary of the Lithuanian artist M K Čiurlionis. This anniversary is included in UNESCO’s list of important dates in 2011. In 2011, 200 companies will visit from 10 countries. Website: http://www.litexpo.lt/en/main/index

4. Jerusalem International Book Fair, Jerusalem, Israel: 20—25 February 2011

   This fair, in its 25^th year in 2011, is a biennial event open to the public. It draws around 1200 publishers from more than 40 countries. It is known for its Editorial Fellowship Program, which invites a promising, talented editors to meet and exchange ideas with their contemporaries at the fair. The JIBF has launched a similar program now, for literary agents. Their website claims that many of their editorial and agent alumni have gone on to prestigious and influential positions in the publishing field, and several return each year to meet and mentor new ”fellows”. Another important event is the Jerusalem Prize awarded to a writer whose work best expresses and promotes the idea of the ”freedom of the individual in society”. The Jerusalem Prize has been awarded to five writers who have also received the Nobel Literary Prize. Website: http://www.jerusalembookfair.com
   

5. Dublin Book Festival, Dublin, Ireland: 4—6 March 2011

   The Dublin Book Festival, which is open to the public, “brings together the best of Irish publishing, for both established and upcoming authors” says the fair’s website. Irish poets and authors will gather to celebrate Dublin’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature. Author events will be held from 2–6 March, in a variety of venues throughout Dublin, including the National Library of Ireland, The Gutter Bookshop, Cube at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin City Libraries and, as with previous years, Dublin’s City Hall. Website: http://www.dublinbookfestival.com
   

6. Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, Abu Dhabi, UAE 15 – 20 March 2011

   The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair offers the best access to industry professionals and key market players in the Middle East and North Africa. This year, the fair will conduct its 21^st event with the market focus being Korea. In 2010, the fair had 840 exhibitors, half a million titles on display and 236,000 visitors, including publishing professionals and the general public. There will be events like author lectures, book signings, poetry performances by local and international poets and a live daily cooking show. Another unique ADIBF offer is a programme subsidising translation deals. Website: http://www.adbookfair.com
   

7. Paris Book Fair, Paris, France: 18—21 March 2011

   This fair, called Salon du Livre in French, is said to be the most important cultural event in Europe and will conduct its 31^st this year.  The venue is the Exhibition Centre at Porte de Versailles, Paris. While the event is open to the general public most of the days, the morning of March 21, from 9 am to 1 pm, is for trade only. While copious events are planned, the focus this year will be on Nordic literature (authors from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland will be present). Talking of numbers, 914 exhibitors will participate in 2011. There will be a phenomenal 2118 book signings, 116 conferences and events. It’s clear that this is the book fair to not miss in Europe. Train, air and hotel fares will be lowered to allow more people to attend the event. More than 2 lakh visitors make it to the fair every year. Website: http://www.salondulivreparis.com
   

8. Bangkok International Book Fair, Bangkok, Thailand 25 March – 6 April 2011

   The Bangkok International Book Fair is called the hub of book markets in South East Asia. It had 1.5 million participants and 423 exhibitors from 19 countries in 2010. The fair will conduct its 9^th event in 2011 and is open to both trade and general public. Website: http://www.bangkokibf.com
   

9. Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Bologna, Italy 28 – 31 March 2011

   The Bologna Children’s Book Fair, in its 48^th edition in 2011, is the only international marketplace exclusively for the children’s publishing and multimedia industry. The website says, “Authors, illustrators, literary agents, licensors and licensees, packagers, distributors, printers, booksellers, and librarians meet to sell and buy copyrights, find the best of children’s publishing and multimedia production, generate and gather new contacts while strengthening professional relationships, discover new business opportunities, discuss and debate the latest sector trends.” About 1300 exhibitors from 67 countries and 4763 international professional trade representatives participated in the fair in 2010. This is a fair open to trade only. Website: http://bolognachildrensbookfair.com

Don’t you hate it when you miss a book fair just because you didn’t know when it came to town—and left?

India is one of the ten biggest book publishing centres in the world, according to the Mumbai International Book Fair website, and is only third, after USA and UK for English titles.

Book fairs are not only fun to visit for good book deals, they are also a place to discover new authors, books and friends. This apart, you get to participate in literary and cultural programmes, listen to poetry recitals by famous poets and interact with authors, which are especially conducted during these fairs and a rare treat for those who enjoy and appreciate the marvels of the written word.

We’re talking about major book fairs in India, not exhibitions where a bookstore offers a discount sale on leftover books to clear stock. Major book fairs are large events in which publishers, book stores and people related to the publishing industry put up stalls to promote reading, writing, literature and, of course, to sell their books and promote new releases.

There is no single place on the Internet where you can get extensive information about all the major book fairs in India, so we thought we’d do some research and put one together.

Here is a listing of major book fairs in India, zone-wise, along with the dates during which they are generally conducted so you can plan ahead and be there.

North India

• Delhi – There are two types of major book fairs held here. The Delhi Book Fair, organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), in its 16^th year, will be held from 25 Dec 2010 to 2 Jan 2011 at Pragati Maidan. It drew three lakh visitors last year. The date for the fair is not constant—for instance, the next fair will be from Aug 29–Sep 6, 2011.
  The other major book fair in Delhi is also held in Pragati Maidan but is called the New Delhi World Book Fair and is organized once in two years by NBT. In its 19^th year now, this fair was held from 30 Jan–7 Feb 2010, so the next one will be in 2012. This, according to NBT, is the biggest book fair in the Afro-Asian Region and attracts exhibitors both from India and abroad.
• Jaipur – The Dainik Bhaskar Book Fair was held between 24 Sept and 3 Oct 2010, at the outer area of SMS Stadium, near Ambedkar Circle. Dates and venue differ. Dainik Bhaskar also conducts book fairs in several other places in North and Central India. Please check http://www.bhaskar.com for more information.
• Noida – The 4^th Noida Book & Stationery Fair organised by Udichi and TradexpoIndia will be conducted at GIP Mall, Sec 18, Atta Market, Noida from 27 Nov–5 Dec 2010. It is an annual fair, conducted simultaneously with Edufiesta, an education fair that draws a large number of students.

South India

• Chennai – Chennai Book Fair or Madras Book Fair is an annual book fair organized in Chennai by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India. The fair lasts for about 10 days and is held between December and January. The fair is one of the important cultural events every year, and has been around a long time—the 33^rd fair was held in January 2010.
• Hyderabad – The 25^th Hyderabad Book Fair will be organized from 16^th to 26^th Dec 2010, at People’s Plaza Ground, Necklace Road. The fair is usually held around the same dates every year.  Since this is the silver jubilee year, the fair promises special attractions. More at http://hyderabadbookfair.com.
• Bengaluru – The Bangalore Book Fair, organised by the Bangalore Booksellers and Publishers Association, in its sixth year now, was conducted in Palace Grounds from 12­–21 November 2010. This major book fair is said to be the second largest in the country and is generally held in November. It draws more than 1 lakh visitors and has revenue in several crore rupees.
• Vijayawada – The Vijayawada Book Festival Society (VBFS) has been organizing book festivals on the lines of the National Book Trust (NBT) since 1989. They organize several events such as ‘Walk for Books’, celebrating birth centenaries of eminent Telugu writers, competitions for students, to name a few. These events do not need an entry ticket. The Vijayawada Book Festival is held from 1–11 January every year.
• Kochi – In its 14^th year now, the Kochi International Book Festival, organized by the Antharashtra Pusthakotsava Samithy, Kochi, is held from 26 Nov–6 Dec 2010 at the Ernakulathappan Grounds. Their focus, they say, is the book lover rather than the publisher and book seller. Several literary events are organised, too.
• Thiruvananthapuram – In the Tehelka Readership Survey 2010, it was found that the maximum monthly spend on books in India was in Thiruvananthapuram (Rs 569.50). The Thiruvananthapuram Book Fair, organised by the Department of Culture, Government of Kerala, is held from 18­­–26 December at Kanakakkunnu Palace and is part of the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival. This time, a children’s writers and publisher’s workshop will also be a part of it.

West India

• Mumbai – The Mumbai International Book Fair (MIBF), organised by the Good Governance India Foundation, a trust dedicated to the promotion of literacy and reading as a habit, is held in January every year in the Bandra-Kurla complex.
• Pune – The 9^th Pune Book Fair (PBF), supported by the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, was a 5-day fair conducted from 20–24 October 2010 at Kamayani grounds in Patrakarnagar. While the fair is held every year, the date and venue differ.

East India

• Kolkata – The largest book fair in India is the Kolkata Book Fair. In its 34^th year, it was held from 27 Jan–7 Feb in 2010. Many foreign countries participate and there is a theme each year dedicated to literature from one country. Awards to authors for lifetime achievement and promising writer were given this year. The dates for the next fair are 26 Jan–6 Feb 2011, with the focal theme: USA. The entry will be free in 2011 in homage to its being the 150^th birth year of Rabindranath Tagore. More at www.kolkatabookfaironline.com

The National Book Trust (NBT), India, organises several book fairs across India. From their website: The National Book Trust, India, established in 1957 for the promotion of books and to inculcate book culture in India, organises book fairs/festivals at local, regional and national levels. To look for the upcoming fair (2010-11) in your neighbourhood, please visit http://www.nbtindia.org.in/download/NOV2010/NBFairs1011.pdf . For later fairs, please visit the NBT website at http://www.nbtindia.org.in.