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The book fair where dreams of budding writers come true

BHUBANESWAR: The special silver jubilee edition of the Bhubaneswar Book Fair (BBF) at the sprawling Exhibition Ground here concluded on Tuesday with former Chief Minister and Sanskrit scholar Mr. J. B. Patnaik as the chief guest at the valedictory ceremony.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Patnaik went down memory lane to recollect how he had inaugurated the first edition of the fair that has the reputation of being eastern India’s second largest event of its kind after the Kolkata Book Fair. It’s the only book fair of the nation that is being hosted by a body of writers, he hailed.

Chief General Manager of the State Bank of India, Orissa Circle Mr. M.N. Rao was the other special guest on the occasion. Pondicherry-based internationally acclaimed writer Mr. Manoj Das had inaugurated the 12-day fair.

For their life time contribution to Oriya literature, eminent writers Mr.Chandrasekhar Rath, Mr. Bijay Mishra and Mr. Achyutananda Pati were felicitated on the occasion.

The fair this year was attended by 114 publishers from across the country and books worth above Rs. 60 lakh were sold out despite rough weather, revealed BBF Committee secretary Mr.B.K. Dhal.

The fair has turned into a literary movement in the State with at least 36 annual book fairs being hosted across Orissa, he emphasised and added that henceforth the fair would be hosted in November instead of February when it was usually being held.

A large number of books were released during the festival, said eminent writer and core committee member Mr. Bibhuti Patnaik.

The fair has inspired a number of aspiring writers to publish their works , he observed.

A major crowd puller of the festival was the literary gatherings each evening, added Jugal Kishore Dutta, eminent translator and founder member of the fair.

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