New Delhi World Book Fair at Pragati Maidan, that began on Saturday, is hosting a special event in view of the upcoming Commonwealth Games in the city, wherein eminent sports personalities have been invited to deliver lectures.
The eight-day event will see the country’s legendary athlete Milkha Singh, former Indian hockey captain Zafar Iqbal and badminton player P. Gopichand delivering talks on the sport they represent.
The idea behind organising the talks in the 19th edition of book fair is to generate interest in sports among bibliophiles. Some institutions and non-government organisations including Nehru Museum and Library and Katha have been roped in by the National Book Trust, India, to organise special morning activities for children.
Free entry for kids
To generate interest in books, school children will be allowed free entry if they visit the fair in their school uniform and are accompanied by their teacher. “But they can come only on weekdays and would have to leave by 1 p.m. This has been decided by the India Trade Promotion Organisation,” said an NBT official.
Spread over 42,000 square metres with nearly 2,400 stalls and stands representing 1,200 Indian and foreign publishers and exhibitors, the book fair has English language publishers in Hall Nos. 1 and 2, publishers of books on science and technology in Hall No. 6 and surrounding open area, foreign participants in Hall Nos. 7-A and B, publishers of educational books in Hall No. 7-C and Hanger, publishers of books on social sciences and humanities in Hall No. 7F, G and Foyer B, Indian regional publishers in Hall No. 12, Hindi language publishers and distributors in Hall No. 12A and children’s books in Hall No. 14.
