We are in mid-December, a reason for book-lovers to widen their grin. The much-awaited annual 24 round of Vijayawada Book Festival will unfold in PWD Grounds on January 1.
Primary Education Minister K. Parthasaradhy will be the chief guest and Collector Budha Prakash M. Jyothi will preside over the inaugural session, which will commence at 6 p.m.
“In keeping with the tradition, the premises of the book festival has been named after publisher Komarraju Venkata Lakshman Rao. The meeting that will follow the inaugural function will be presided over by late Lakshman Rao’s grandson K. Ravi and addressed by Nagalla Guruprasad Rao,” book festival society president D. Ashok Kumar told a press conference on Saturday.
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The dais where cultural programmes would be presented is named after prominent journalist Nanduri Ramamohana Rao, and this year’s theme for the festival is ‘Oriya’ language.
“This also means that Oriya literature will occupy the centre stage. Translated works (Telugu to Oriya and vice versa) would be on display and authors of that language would be invited to speak on the occasion,” said Mr. Ashok Kumar.
A walk by book-lovers is an integral part of the annual festival.
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This year, the walk would be conducted at 4 p.m. on January 4.
Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu will flag off the walk at the Press Club in Gandinagar and Minister for Rural Development Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad would lead the procession.
The rally would culminate in a meeting presided over by senior journalist and president of Andhra Pradesh Grandhalaya Parishad T. Kutumba Rao.
Besides offering books of all kinds and categories under one roof, the book festival provides a platform for various age groups to showcase their talent in cultural and literary activities.
The society, in association with the National Centre for Children’s Literature and National Book Trust, would conduct competitions in various activities from January 2 to January 10 and, around the same period, book releases and interactive face-to-face sessions would keep literature-lovers engaged.
Folk artistes would descend on the venue to entertain the audience and help them connect with their roots.
Valedictory
A meeting at 6 p.m. on January 11 would mark the end of the book festival and the valedictory session would be attended by Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, City Police Commissioner N. Madhusudhan Reddy, AP State Road Transport Corporation MD A.K. Khan, and Municipal Commissioner M.A. Azeem.
Society vice-president S. Rama Rao, secretary I. Ram Kumar, joint secretary Jampa Krishna Kishore, and treasurer J. Prasad were present.