New Delhi: Nine-year-old Sankalpit sat hunched over a tiny plastic stool, his spectacles slipping down his nose, completely absorbed in a comic book, oblivious to the bustle around him. His parents moved between stalls, occasionally glancing back to see if he had turned a page. “I am reading Pran’s Billoo. It is about a boy who has a dog and a girlfriend and plays pranks on people,” said the class IV student, who had come from Gurgaon with his family to attend the book fair. A few steps away, parents and children stood in line at a stall where visitors could record their voices and hear an audio version of a book played back in their own tone. When it was her turn, eight-year-old Ritvi carefully recited a line from the Gita. Hearing her voice echo through the earphones, she smiled broadly, clapped and ran to her mother to share the experience. Holding up the book she had just bought—Gita: The Spiritual Stories—the class III student explained her choice. “I like mythology, listening to bhajans and spiritual stories. That is why I chose this book. It is also one of the subjects offered in my school,” she said. Scenes like these played out across the halls of the World Book Fair, which opened at Pragati Maidan on Saturday. Large crowds thronged the aisles as families, students, educators and elderly readers moved from stall to stall, tote bags steadily growing heavier. One of the country’s largest literary gatherings, the fair felt as much like a weekend family outing as a cultural event—children reading on the floor, parents negotiating limits on book purchases and readers stopping mid-aisle, lost in pages despite the surrounding rush. This year’s edition of the fair, the 53rd, has been organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) under the ministry of education, and co-organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation. For the first time, entry to the nine-day event, running from Jan 10 to 18, has been made free for all visitors. According to organisers, the fair brings together over 1,000 publishers from over 35 countries, features over 600 events and 1,000 speakers, and is expected to draw more than 20 lakh visitors. The fair was inaugurated by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in the presence of dignitaries from India and abroad, including ministers and cultural representatives from Qatar and Spain. The theme for this year, Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom @ 75, is showcased through a large immersive pavilion featuring curated exhibits, books, documentaries and installations, alongside special exhibitions commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Vande Mataram. The fair features dedicated zones for children, academic and regional publishers, international literature, and interactive reading, bringing first-time readers and bibliophiles together in the same bustling aisles.
