The much-awaited book exhibition commenced at Corporation Grounds near the new bus-stand here on Monday with 93 stalls with 10 lakh books under 1 lakh titles.
The 10-day exhibition, being organised by Book Sellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI), will provide a rare opportunity for the readers, especially students, for buying the books on a range of topics.
Following the cultural events by the school and college students between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., leading writers, including Sahitya Akademi award winners, will entertain the visitors in the evening.
“Writers S. Venkatesan, a Sahitya Akademi award winner, ‘Tirupur’ Krishnan, Kovai Sadasivam, Narumpoonathan, Ponneelan, Parveen Sultana, Tha. Ku. Subramanian, S. Thamizhselvan, Stalin Gunasekaran, Bharathi Bhaskar, Joe De Cruz, K. Gnanasambandan, Nanjil Naadan, Thoppil Mohammed Meeran, Pamayan and others will speak every day in the evening,” said Collector N. Venkatesh, who inaugurated it on Monday.
Apart from setting up stalls for displaying books, the district administration made arrangements for explaining the government’s welfare schemes and the ways of availing them.
A special one-day workshop will be organised on October 7 exclusively for the benefit of civil services aspirants. Visitors will be allowed between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Joint secretary, BAPASI, S.K. Murugan, said he was expecting business to the tune of over ₹1 crore as 10% discount would be offered for all books.
Superintendent of Police P. Mahendran, Corporation Commissioenr Alby John Varghese, Sub-Collector Deepak Jacob, ASP S. Selvanagarathinam, BAPASI president Gandhi Kannadasan and others spoke.
