The Kerala Book Marketing Society (Bookmark) will organise an Akshara Vandana Jaadha (rally in salutation of letters) across the district on May 10 and 11.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Society secretary Babu Kuzhimattom said the rally will be taken out prior to simultaneous launch of 151 books by the Kerala State Institute of Children's Literature.
Kottayam Municipal chairman Sunny Kalloor will flag off the rally from the Gandhi Square on May 10 at 9.30 a.m. The rally will include the mobile libraries of the society. The various branches of the rally will be led by eminent personalities including Kerala Sahitya Akademi chairman Perumbadavam Sreedharan, Sangeetha Nataka Akademi chairman Soorya Krishnamoorthy, State Institute of Languages director M.R. Thampan, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi chairman K.A. Francis, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy executive committee member Joshy Mathew, Bharat Bhavan secretary Satheesh Babu Payyannoor and Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan member secretary Vilakkudi Rajendran.
The programmes, to be conducted at selected parts of the district, will be led by noted personalities in the field of literature and culture. The rally will be received by State Institute of Children's Literature director Thumbamon Thomas on its return to Kottayam on the next day by around 3.30 p.m. The mobile libraries will then be brought to a temporary venue that will be set up at the Central Junction for a book exhibition and fair that will last for a week.
Many thousands of books will be put on sale at subsidised rates. Books published by the Sahitya Pravarthaka Cooperative Soceity (SPCS) will also be made available at the fair. According to Mr. Kuzhimattom, Bookmark, an organisation that comes under the Department of Culture, has set a record by conducting business worth Rs. 4.5 crore through selling books during the past four months.
