Qais
Lucknow, the city of Nawabs plays host to the National Book Fair, one of the biggest book fests, a literary feast for the city’s bibliophiles for 10 days every year. The National Book Fair is the much awaited annual event as your search for books, pertaining to all subjects under the sun, ends right here!
History of Book Fair in Lucknow
The National Book Fair in Lucknow was first held in the year 2003 with collaboration of The Federation of Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Associations in India, New Delhi. Since then, the event has been witnessing an upsurge in the number of visitors and a significant increase in the number of publisher’s stalls on a year-to-year basis.
Another interesting aspect of the National Book Fair is that international publishers have started participating too. ‘’Trinity Impression’’ from Mauritius can be found at the book fair now. Owing to its huge success, the book fair holds the distinction of being counted among the top ten book fairs in India.
The National Book Fair is organised in the sprawling Moti Mahal lawns, right in the centre of the city. This 10-day long fest attracts visitors from all walks of life, from all age groups, as publishers from all over India strive to put their best foot forward by offering the best of literature in all genres.
Books on a multitude of topics and subjects of your interest
In the book fair, you have the opportunity to browse through all the books including fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies, bestsellers, spirituality, Vedic literature and children’s books, all at one place and at your own pace, which makes it the most sought-after hangout. Autonomous government organizations such as National Book Trust, Delhi, also participate adding more variety and flavour to it.
The stalls offering books at discounted prices steal the show and emerge as one of the major crowd pullers. The National Book Fair also enjoys the credit of organising competitions for children such as quiz, story-telling and drawing competition to make it all the more enjoyable. Such events ensure increased participation of kids in the fair.
The National Book Fair also gives you a platform to meet and interact with the literati including notable writers, poets and academicians from Lucknow as well as other places of the world, thereby encouraging sharing and exchange of thoughts and ideas between diverse people. In the book fair, the rental libraries of Lucknow also put up their stalls in order to generate awareness about their presence and the services they offer.
The National Book Fair at Lucknow has books in a number of Indian Languages but English, Hindi and Urdu books are in galore. Bestsellers in Hindi and Urdu are an instant hit with the city inhabitants and the visitors, making the entire event an enriching and unforgettable experience for them. It comes as a blessing to the book lovers who eagerly anticipate its arrival in the city. This is made evident by the phrase ‘’Once a visit, always a visit’’ which certainly holds true in the context of the National Book Fair. It is such a delightful world of books that you would never want to miss out on.
Najeeb Khan
