After a gap of five years, the second international book fair is back in Puducherry. The nine-day long book fair with 102 stalls has more than one lakh books at Vel Sokkanathan Thirumana Nilayam.
Panch Ramalingam, honorary president, Puducherry Writers Book Society, said that nearly 63 publishers from different parts of the country have set up stalls. “The first international book fair was organised in 2012. There are publishers from Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Madurai, Bengaluru, Ranchi, Delhi and several places,” he said. One of the highlights of the book fair this is that the Publication Division of Government of India has a stall.
Bibliophiles can choose their subjects from a wide range of books, including fiction and non-fiction in both Tamil and English languages. Some of the prominent publications of Vikatan, Periyar Self-Respect Propaganda Institution and Leo Books are here.
There are Lotus Multimedia, MTG Learning Media from New Delhi stalls for school and guide books and CDs for children. “Shri Siva Books, who is an NCERT book dealer and Inland books have a stall in the book fair,” he said.
On the inaugural day, nearly 18 books, including seven books by authors from foreign countries such as Sri Lanka, Singapore and Mauritius, were released. VCK leader Ravikumar released the books. “There are at least 11 new books by Indian authors,” Mr. Ramalingam said. Poetry, essay, debate, dance, singing and drawing competitions have been organised from December 23 to 31. Next Monday, the organisers are celebrating Christmas.
Ramanayagam T., President of Malaysian Indian Women’s Organisation, Raghupathy Balasridharan, Vice President, Sri Lanka Tamil Sangam were present.
The book fair was not without controversy. Police personnel stood guard anticipating trouble from a faction of Puducherry Co-operative Book Society. Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, who was invited as a special guest, skipped the event after a controversy surfaced over the allegations that the organisers were corrupt.
