The Hindu : Karnataka News : Government to support world book fair if held in the city

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Karnataka

Government to support world book fair if held in the city

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The State Government will extend support if the organisers of the Bangalore Book Festival will hold a chapter of the World Book fair in the city, Minister for Home V. S. Acharya has said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the sixth annual Bangalore Book Festival (BBF) organised by the Bangalore Booksellers and Publishers Association and Klub Class in association with the Kannada Book Authority at the Palace Grounds here on Friday.

Expressing his pleasure over the increasing number of Kannada book stalls in the nine-day annual book exhibition, Dr. Acharya observed that medical books were hardly available in the country decades ago. Now it was given to his understanding that the situation had been reversed as foreign publishers prefer to publish technical books, including medical texts, in India and export them.

Presenting a cheque of Rs. 3.25 lakh to the organisers of the BBF, he said the Government was extending the financial assistance in compliance with the tradition set by the former Chairman of the Kannada Book Authority S.G. Siddaramaiah by extending Rs. 1 lakh to the cultural fair in 2007.

Chairman of Kannada Book Authority and the Dalit poet Siddalingaiah said that it was heartening to note that of the 228 stalls put up at the exhibition, Kannada book publishers had covered 60 stalls. This had reflected the growing demand for Kannada books and the number of Kannada stalls would go up in the future editions of the book festival, he said.

Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority and MLC Mukhyamantri Chandru suggested that it would be wise and meaningful to present books to the guests on cultural occasions instead of presenting bouquets and garlands. He would urge the Government to consider the suggestion in the interest of book culture, he added.

Responding to the suggestion, president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Nallur R. Prasad said that it would be unfair to deprive the business of farmers who were depending on the floriculture. It would be wise to respect both the cultures for the benefit of all, he added.

Emphasising that the parishat had become selective in publishing books, Prof. Prasad said that of late the parishat had realised that it was the quality of the content and aesthetic appeal of books that held key in capturing the market. The parishat had decided to market its publications such as Kannada Rathna Kosha and dictionaries, which are in demand, with a new outlook, he added.

He urged private publishers to publish books on various topics and current affairs and issues instead of concentrating only on traditional forms of literature such as novel, poetry and plays.

President of the Bangalore Booksellers and Publishers Association Balaram Sadhwani spoke.

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