CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation is planning to sign at least 1,000 MoUs with foreign publishers for translating books at the upcoming Chennai International Book Fair, scheduled to be held from January 16 to 18, 2025.
According to officials, over 225 publishers from more than 80 countries have applied for fellowships to participate in this year’s event. “Among the MoUs signed, the conversion rate is currently only 15 to 20%, as publishers must meet specific criteria to receive grants.
Once grants for translation are sanctioned, it takes nearly 18 to 24 months to publish the book. Currently, we offer around `2.5 lakh as grant for translating a book. With higher number of publishers expected to participate this year, we aim to increase the number of MoUs,” said T Sankara Saravanan, joint director of the corporation.
It also plans to host sessions featuring renowned authors and publishers to make the event more attractive. As the guest of honour of the book fair will be the organisation that conducts the Bologna Children’s Book Fair this year, children’s literature will receive more prominence and there will be a separate pavilion for it as well, added officials.
The corporation has also invited applications from college students for a two-week immersive training programme aimed at grooming future literary agents. Recognising lack of such literary agents during the first year’s book fair, the corporation had trained 20 students to fill this gap. This year, it plans to train 10 more students, with applications open until December 2.
R Deepak, who underwent the training last year said, “It has been a rewarding experience, offering opportunities to travel and interact with renowned publishers and authors. My passion for reading has now led to an exciting career opportunity,” he said.