Books and movies to go hand in hand at this year’s fair

Buy A book and watch a movie. That's the highlight of the 18th Delhi Book Fair, slated for inauguration on September 1 in Pragati Maidan, though this year's theme is going to be "e-books".

Movies based on novels by Indian authors will be screened every day at Shakuntalam Theatre on the premises of Pragati Maidan. The films include Meghe Dhaka Tara, Parineeta, Guide and Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, which is based on Vikas Swaroop's Q&A.

Fair organisers, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), have tried to make this year's event more interactive by including programmes such as poetry recitation, book reading, discussions and seminars.

The theme, e-books, "caught the fancy because it is a modern concept and is fairly new to the country", a member of ITPO said.

ITPO chairperson Rita Menon said: "As e-devices like Kindle are readily available in India and are affordable to the masses, e-books are now a very accessible entity."

ITPO executive director Neeraj Gupta said: "It is essential for Indian authors and readers to take up the digital medium to break the physical barriers and explore international markets."

"We are expecting a large number of people to participate in the book fair because this is a demand-driven event and we want to make it a rich experience for the exhibitors, writer and visitors," Menon said.

The fair recorded approximately 300,000 visitors last year.

Among the 230 participants this year, there will representatives from Pakistan, China, Britain, the US, France and Germany. But most participants are going to be from the printing industry in and around Delhi, besides regional publishers of Malayalam, Assamese, Bengali and Urdu books and journals.

Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna will inaugurate the fair, which will be open for visitors between 11 am and 8 pm every day till September 9.

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