Karnataka - Bangalore

This book fair has something for everyone

THE HINDU— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

overwhelming variety: Visitors browse through the books at the Bangalore Book Festival. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Bangalore: Your interest in books could be anything — religious literature of a particular sect, spicy pulp fiction or the latest publication on the labour scene in India. If you have the time and inclination to browse through the 260-odd stalls and thousands of books, you will find works on any of these and more at the ongoing Bangalore Book Festival at the Palace Grounds.

The book fair, pegged to be the second biggest in India, overwhelms you with quantity.

There are only a few stalls that offer specialised books — for example, by religious publications and a few dedicated to specific subjects, such as Centre for Studies in Civilisation. Most stalls sell an assortment of books on subjects ranging from cookery to fiction by Booker Prize-winners. There are a large number of stalls selling Kannada books too, with representation by several important publishers.

Some stalls attract visitors with their unusual collections.

For example, the stall by The Standard Literature Co. from Kolkata has “Michelangelo, the Complete Works”, which will require really strong arms to carry. The book in “Jumbo Enlarge Format” costs Rs. 9,800.

The stall by totalkannada.com sells T-shirts with the slogan: “IT-yalladaru iru, antarikshadalladaru iru, endendigu nee kannadavaagiru.” (Be in IT industry or in a space vehicle, but always be a Kannadiga).

Devaru Bhat, secretary of the Bangalore Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association, said, “The intention of this book fair is to bring avid readers and publishers together. This is an ideal platform to boost the sale of books that have not come into the limelight. There is a flat 10 per cent discount at every stall in addition to the discounts being offered by individual booksellers. Publishers from Delhi, Agra and various other parts of the country are present.”

Amaravati Nehal, a doctor who was at the fair, said that the ambience at the book festival was exhilarating. She said that even shopping for academic books for her son seemed such an “interesting experience” here. “Although I am not a book person, being in the presence of so many books keeps me captivated,” she said.

The book festival is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the entry fee is Rs. 20. It ends on November 23.

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