Assam is Becoming a Hub for Book Fairs

Assam would likely rank relatively high among the other states in the nation in terms of the number of books written based on the number of news stories that are published in newspapers

on Dec 12, 2022

Assam is now experiencing a season of book fairs, with several such events planned in various places around the state. The Publication Board and All Assam Book Sellers' and Publishers' Association together staged book fairs that were successful in Nalbari, Dhemaji, and Jorhat.

However, the most significant book fair in Guwahati will start on December 29. Smaller-scale book fairs were also organized in various locations, including numerous district headquarters, showing that the state's residents are very interested in purchasing and reading books.

This is a result of the absence of a counting system. A significant percentage of books produced in Assam do not have the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), a special 13-digit international publisher's identifier, since they have not been registered as required by law.

Although it hasn't been proven, Assam would likely rank relatively high among the other states in the nation in terms of the number of books written based on the number of news stories that are published in newspapers each year. Concerning the number of book fairs, both large and little, hosted in various states, Assam ought to come to the top.

However, there is a widespread perception among the majority of Assamese book publishers that the book publishing industry is not doing well. This is refuted by the fact that book fairs around the state see highly encouraging foot traffic and sell books worth many lakhs of rupees (in the case of the book fair in Guwahati it goes to a few crores of rupees). The publishing industry is not properly represented by this discrepancy.

The issue of writers not receiving adequate remuneration or compensation from publishers is another one. It is a reality that Assam's book publishing industry lacks a great deal of professionalism.

Although the majority of publishers do not have writers sign contracts, it is also true that the majority of publishers do not tell the authors the precise number of copies printed for each book released. After all, authoring books is a form of intellectual labor that merits greater compensation than everyday gambling. However, it seems like Assam is experiencing the complete opposite of this.