With 200 stalls and books on a wide range of topics, the Madurai Book Fair at Convention Centre on Tamukkam Ground is attracting people of all ages. From children to people on wheelchairs, people throng the fair every day.
“Differently abled people and the invalid with wheel chairs have a ramp for easy access to the convention centre and volunteers are at hand to assist them,” says A. Rajkumar, disaster management and first-aid trainer with Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Madurai who assists such people. He also conducts short first aid training sessions such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for the visitors to the fair.
Avid readers can just wallow in the ocean of books at the fair - comics, novels, science books, religion, astrology -the subjects are so varied to cater to every reader’s taste.
What’s in store
There are collectors’ items in Tamil and English brought by The Hindu Group, like ‘The Second 100: A Selection of Editorials — 1978-2016,’ a select compilation of 100 editorials . There is also ‘Book of Editorials 2021.’
Want to know Tamil Nadu’s political ideologies, you will find ‘Maaperum Thamizh Kanavu’ on Perarignar Anna, and ‘Therkilirundhu Oru Sooriyan’ on M.K. Karunanidhi, ‘Pathi Neethiyim Neethi Paathiyum’ by K. Chandru, ‘UPSC Thervai Vendravargal’ by R. Shabimunna, ‘The Wonder That was Harappan Civilisation’ and ‘Master of the 64 Squares.’
Now people watch book reviews on YouTube and come in search of them. Books of lesser-known and first time authors are gaining popularity, thanks to social media. I am happy to stock them for those eager readers,” says R. Raj Anand, a fourth-generation bookseller from Madurai. One can say reading habit is back among youngsters., he says.
“Books of lesser-known and first time authors are gaining popularity, thanks to social media”A bookseller
“I have been wanting to read Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan for long and I just grabbed one at a good discount. I want to read it before watching the film,” says Jenima Francis, a English literature student from Sivakasi. Over 100 stalls stock this iconic novel. Preetha Rajah Kannan, the author of ‘The Tiger Throne: Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan Retold,’ was signing her books at the fair.
There was motley crowd. College students came in groups, women were flipping through vividly illustrated books for children even as their young ones were poring over books already bought.
