The Pune Book Fair takes booklovers on a diverse and linguistic experience

The best buys are the ones that you stumble upon-that is the experience which a stroll through the cool hushed ambience of the Pune Book Fair provides one with.

October 15 saw the inauguration of Pune's seventh book fair at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. Though not on the grand lines of the New Delhi and Kolkatta book fairs, the Pune Book Fair provides an important meeting ground for publishers, booksellers, book distributors, librarians, professionals, academicians and booklovers. "We cater to people with more distinct taste and expectations in literature," says Mr. V.B.Joshi, Co convener of the fair. "The topics and themes on display are slightly offbeat, and many in vernacular languages. Our aim is to give smaller or individual publishers a chance to display their books," adds he.

In turn this also offers booklovers a truly diverse linguistic and quantitative experience, which was evident at the venue, where, books on Konkani literature, classic erotica and Falun Dafa, the banned and brutally persecuted practice in China, were all on offer, often at throwaway prices.

The exhibition hosts over a 100 stalls; few of which stand out more than the others. Ebrahim Aghajari, who is currently completing his Ph.D in engineering and instrumentation in Pune, manages the stall on Iranian culture. Aghajari guides you through the intricacies of Persian, Urdu and Arabic literature and the wonders of ancient cities of Tehran, and Kashan in Isfahan.

In complete contrast to this quiet corner is the Lokayat, a stall that bursts with revolutionary literature, slogans and posters. Be it a dissertation on Nandigram, writings of Noam Chomsky, documentaries on Godhra riots, Ayodhya issue or discussions on our post-modern world, it is sure to find a place here.

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