Sahitya Akademi Organized ‘Pustakayan’ Book Fair After 68 Years to Commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

on Nov 16, 2022

In 68 years, the Sahitya Akademi has organized a book fair for the first time. The esteemed literary institution in Lutyens' Delhi has always participated in book fairs but has refrained from hosting one for many years. But this time, as part of its initiative to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav—75 years of India's Independence—it has taken the initiative.

"We have a strong book culture, so we decided to celebrate it in honor of Amrit Mahotsav. We wanted to give readers greater variety, therefore we included all publications," said Sahitya Akademi Assistant Editor Ajay Singh.

On Friday, when the fair called "Pustakayan" was inaugurated, the expansive lawns of Ravindra Bhawan at Mandi House were thronged with book lovers, sellers, and stalls from more than 35 publishers. It will run for eight days, through November 18, with a focus on children's literature.

Akademi's choice to concentrate on children's literature is working well. A group of young ladies who were all finishing their elementary education bachelor's degrees was interested in learning how children's books employed graphics. A senior official came by to purchase books at a discount from his preferred Hindi writers.

Jigyasa, a B.El.Ed student who was especially taken with the selection of books in the Ektara stall, said: "It was interesting for us because we wanted to see how illustrations can help hasten the learning process." The children's publishing firm specializes in books and periodicals with lots of illustrations. They frequently receive poetry from well-known poets like Gulzar, Vinod Kumar Shukla, Naresh Saxena, and Varun Grover.

Young teachers were observed browsing the vibrant posters and educational CDs as they moved from vendor to stall. The event served as a reminder of the value of actual books after the pandemic's two years of digital study.

"Children only receive education via smartphone displays. Nobody can dispute the value of hardcover books or paperbacks in the era of e-books and paper. A new learning experience may be had by touching and feeling a book, according to a second B.El.Ed. student.

In a modest, improvised tent where the literary panel discussions are intended to take place, a more serious set of attendees listened to notable authors.

Famous children's author Divik Ramesh spoke with his followers on Saturday. Author Nasira Sharma, MP Satyanarayan Jatiya, and joint secretary for the Culture Ministry Uma Nanduri were also in attendance on Friday. 'Baal Sahitya - Kal, Aaj aur Kal' (Children's literature - yesterday, today, and tomorrow) was the topic of the panel discussion on Friday.

Participants included children's authors Madhu Pant, Devendra Mewari, and Raees Siddiqui. Workshops in storytelling, poetry and cartoon illustration will also be held throughout the event.

According to K Sreenivasan Rao, secretary of the Sahitya Kala Akademi, "there are various activities scheduled during the next eight days, including Bal Sahitya Puruskar on the occasion of Children's Day."

A gigantic facsimile of a pen and a book was provided as the ideal backdrop for the guests to take a few pictures at the fair.