Rain Damages Books at the Chennai Book Fair, Putting Publishers in a Difficult Situation

Explore Chennai Book Fair's challenges as heavy rains damage books, leading to losses for publishers. Discover efforts to repair and resume the literary event.

on Jan 09, 2024

Rain Damages Books at the Chennai Book Fair, Putting Publishers in a Difficult Situation | Frontlist

Publishers at the Chennai Book Fair allege they are facing significant losses since their books were destroyed by the city's heavy rains on Monday.

The rain that began in Chennai on Saturday night wreaked havoc on the grounds of the YMCA campus. The sand ground had become muck, making it impossible for guests to reach the fair. Rainwater had apparently leaked through the framework, drenching several of the booths and damaging the books.

As a result, for the first time since its establishment, the Chennai Book Fair took a hiatus after its launch on January 3 to attend to repairs. The only other occasion the book fair was cancelled, according to news reader K. Nijanthan, was when a fire broke out on the fair grounds at Quaid-e-Millath Government College for Women in 1993. "My books were damaged in that fire," he told me.

However, this time, the publishers claimed that the measures taken to fix the damage could have been taken earlier to avoid the losses. "We have lost nearly ₹1 lakh. We are unsure how we would manage it as a tiny publisher," said Yaavaram Publishers' owner, Jeeva Karikalan.

Now, as the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India makes additional arrangements to repair the damage caused by the rain, such as erecting a tarpaulin on the roof and clearing a path for visitors, many publishers wonder why this could not have been done at the start of the fair.

Mr. Jeeva further stated that the insurer would not pay these damages because it was considered a man-made disaster. "However, BAPASI president has assured us some support so we are hopeful," he said in a statement.

The Chennai Book Fair is slated to begin on Tuesday. "The rain caused damage to only two or three stalls. We have completed all of the necessary arrangements and updated the measures. It will resume as per plan,” said Senthilnathan, executive member, BAPASI.