On Day 1, children flock to Delhi Book Fair

The 18th Delhi Book Fair (DBF) and 14th Stationery Fair, organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), was inaugurated at Pragati Maidan on Saturday.

The fair opened to a moderate crowd on Saturday and publishers said the opening day is "usually slow" and they expected the number of visitors to increase.

On Saturday, many schoolchildren attended the fair with their parents and teachers. As a result, the children's books section saw the maximum rush.

Mir Ali from Urdu Academy, Delhi, said there were few takers for Urdu literature at the Fair. "Urdu books sell lesser here as compared to the World Book Fair," Ali said.

Representatives of Sheikh Mubarak Ali publishers from Pakistan, who have participated in almost every edition of the DBF, said: "We bring all sorts of books, from religion to fiction, but sales are falling. The number of people who can read Urdu is going down."

Hindi book publishers were happy with sales. "I have participated in all 18 editions of the Delhi Book Fair and the World Book Fair. There is always a big crowd at all Hindi stalls and we manage to do good business," said Raghuvir Sharma from Prabhat Prakashan.

Complimenting the organisers for institutionalising a book event of international stature, Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna in his inaugural address said, "Publishers should adopt technology, keeping the fast-changing world in mind. The younger generation wants e-books and pocket books. Publishers should try their best to ensure that their books have maximum reach," he said.

Khanna said e-publishing is the best way to take books to a large international audience.

At least 235 publishers, including exhibitors from China, Pakistan, the UK and the USA, have set up stalls in the nine-day fair this year. Khanna said he hoped that the fair would enhance international collaborations in publishing and business transactions.

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