The 26th international book fair being organised by Darsana Cultural Society in association with Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam Municipal and district administrations will be opened by noted film maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan on Friday.
According to organisers, one of the oldest book fair of its kind in the State, the Darsana Book Fair is expected to bring together nearly 200 publishers and two lakh patrons during the ten day festival of letters.
The highlight of this year’s fair would be the exhibition being put up by Mahatma Gandhi University on the sidelines of the book festival.
Aksharam, Achadi, Arivu, will be an exhibition depicting the history and development of printing and publishing in Malayalam down the centuries.
One unique feature of the exhibition will be the functions organized under “Maatru Smarana” in memory of the three great women litterateurs of Malayalam: Kadathanattu Madhviyamma, Balmaniamma and Lalithmabika Antharjama. The birth centenary celebrations of the latter will be inaugurated on the occasion by Rajan Gurukkal, vice chancellor, MG University.
An audio-visual programme on Tagore’s Gitanjali will be presented on November 30, Monday.
According to organisers, a special stall will be earmarked for the exhibition of works by M.T. Vasudevan Nair.
Seminars on screen play, distance education, literature, media freedom, Developmental needs of Kottayam etc have also been organised as part of the fair which will conclude on December 6.
