School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan will inaugurate the 41st Chennai Book Fair to be held between January 10 and 22 on the St. George’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School grounds.
Office-bearers of the Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association of South India (BAPASI), organisers of the event, said that 376 participants spread across 428 stalls will be present at the fair to be held at its traditional venue at Shenoy Nagar, across the road from Pachaiyappa’s College. This year organisers recommend patrons alight at the metro station adjacent the college for better access to the fair. The fair will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on holidays and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. Tickets are available for ₹10; five lakh are being distributed to school students to encourage them to visit. All books bought at the fair will be entitled to a 10% discount.
Computerised index
The fair will also have the presence of a computerised index named Bhaviyshya, which can identify specific stalls and books for visitors.
A press conference to announce the arrangements for the fair was addressed by BAPASI president S. Vairavan and his team. The organisers said that on January 11, Minister for Tamil Development K. Pandiarajan would inaugurate a statue of Thiruvalluvar at the venue. Justice R. Mahadevan of the Madras High Court would attend the concluding day's events.
