Historical Novels and Comics were Significant Hits at the Chennai Book Fair

Discover literary treasures at the Chennai Book Fair! From historical novels like Ponniyin Selvan to trending comics and manga, explore diverse genres.

on Jan 16, 2024

Historical Novels and Comics were Significant Hits at the Chennai Book Fair | Frontlist

While books such as Ponniyin Selvan continue to be popular, many other historical novels are in demand this year, according to publishers at the event.

As the Pongal vacations began in the city, the 47th edition of the Chennai Book Fair attracted a large number of visitors due to its collection of historical books and comics.

Customers have expressed an interest in purchasing historical and self-improvement books, as was the case last year, according to book fair publishers. Historical novels are in high demand at numerous Tamil book shops.

"While Ponniyin Selvan continues to draw a large crowd, people are also looking at other books," said Uma Natarajan, who operates the Rhythm Book Distributors stall.

There has also been a desire for spiritual and social literature. Stating that people have been turning away from popular historical novels to social works. A. Vennila, who manages the New Student Book Agency, stated that many people had requested Latha's Kazhivarai Irukkai. "This had not been the case in prior years. People desire to converse and learn more about issues that were previously considered taboo. "There has been a wave of more open-minded books," she said.

The Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation kiosk is packed with people eager to get their hands on the Sangam literary volumes that the state has published. Grace Banu, at the Thirunangai Press LLP stall, stated that the book Grace was highly popular among children.

about the environmental front, many people were looking for literature about the 2017 Ennore oil leak.

Comics in demand.

This year's book show also featured the introduction of manga, which are Japanese comics or graphic novels. These are in high demand, despite the fact that just a few stalls sell them.

"We were unaware of manga until last year, when a large number of people requested them. Since then, we've chosen to stock up on titles. Manga accounts for almost 85% of our sales', said A. Mathiazhagan, who oversees the Dream Ways stand.

Tall stacks of One Piece, Death Note, and other series are on display at the stall, which is popular among customers. "From kids of Class IV to college students, many have come asking for copies of the One Piece series," he went on to say.

The number of patrons in the Tamil comedy area has also remained consistent. "We have lately launched the Tintin series in Tamil. "The comics have been more popular among men," stated Jagajothi G., Muthu Comics' manager.

However, several publishers who have been setting up kiosks for years believe that people's interest in reading has decreased. "The crowd used to be much larger, and people generally wanted to buy books, but now it's hard to find anyone who truly wants to read," said a volunteer who operates the Aruvi Puthaga Ulagam market.