KARIMNAGAR: In an age where ‘constant gratification’ is at our fingertips and publishers claim that the number of people reading books is decreasing, as many as 10,000 students and bibliophiles are flocking to the week-long book fair at Jyotirao Phule Ground in Karimnagar.
Organised by the Telangana Book Trust in collaboration with the Telangana Sahitya Akademi and district administration, the book fair is hosting as many as 53 stalls by various publishers from the Telugu states.
The event is scheduled to culminate on March 8, which is also International Women’s Day. Several competitions for students, such as elocution and essay writing, are being held by local authors and poets on a daily basis as well.
Telangana Book Trust secretary Koya Chandramohan tells TNIE that the book fair has garnered good response, especially from students. About 10,000 students and book lovers are visiting the fair every day, he adds.
“Recollecting the names of poets, writers, and literature greats, we have erected plaques bearing the names of notable poets, Padma Shri and Sahitya Academy awardees at the entrance, main stages and book stalls,” he says.
S Pavani, a student from Apoorva Degree College, expresses her amazement at the size of the book festival. She says that this was the first time she had ever visited such a large book festival. Pavani’s teachers had suggested that she develop a habit of reading books, and that was why she visited the festival.
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On Saturday, Additional Collector (Local Bodies) Garima Agarwal and Zilla Parishad chairperson Ch Priyanka participated in a debate on atrocities against women, career guidance and counselling. Earlier, Karimnagar MP and BJP State unit chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Collector RV Karnan visited the book festival. Stating that Karimnagar is the birthplace of writers, artists and poets, Sanjay said the history of Telangana is known to everyone in the world through their writings and literature.
53 stalls set up at venue
Organised by the Telangana Book Trust with help of the Telangana Sahitya Akademi and district admin, the book fair is hosting as many as 53 stalls by various publishers