CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will inaugurate the 47th Chennai Book Fair at Nandanam YMCA Ground in Chennai, on Wednesday. School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi will also take part in the event.
The book fair will be open from 2 pm to 8.30 pm on weekdays and 11 am to 8.30 pm on weekends and holidays, till January 21. Speech competitions and painting competitions will be held for students, while talks by scholars and Tamil writers will be held every evening.
According to a release by the Booksellers and Publishers’ Association of South India’s (BAPASI), the chief minister will distribute Kalaignar Porkizhi awards and Bapasi awards in the opening ceremony. As many as 900 stalls have been set by various publishers and a 10% discount will be offered on all books at the fair. Among them, 150 stalls have been allotted to non-BAPASI members.
South Indian Buddha Vihar Foundation, Voice of Buddha, Ezhuchi Publishing House, Tadagam, Transgender Press LLP, Poovulakin Nanbarkal, Crow’s Nest, Iyalvakai are among the stalls this year. A separate stall has been set up for books published by the Hindu Religious Charities Department.
In addition, the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation has set up a 2,000-square-foot stall on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, Poompuhar, to promote the unique handicrafts created by artisans.
The Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation, the World Tamil Research Centre, the Central Government’s Sahitya Akademi, Dr Ambedkar Foundation, National Book Trust, The Publication Division, Thanjavur Tamil University and the Department of Archaeology also have put up stalls.
Globally renowned publishers like Penguin Random House, The British Council, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and a Tamil publishing house operating from Singapore are also taking part in the fair.