HYDERABAD : NTR Stadium is packed. The cool December evenings see swarms of people: young and old hopping from one stall to another holding cloth bags brimming with books. Books not just in English but several in Telugu, Urdu and Hindi as well. The 33rd edition of Hyderabad Book Fair (HBF) is in full swing with 330 stalls from nine different states along with those of National Book Trust, Telangana State Language and Culture Department, British Council and city newspapers among others. There is also Writers Hall where readers can meet the authors. Says K Chandra Mohan, the secretary of HBF, “The authors are from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh who meet the literature aficionados signing copies of books.”
The centenary celebrations of Telugu author Dhanikonda Hanumantha Rao known for his novels and short stories. He was the one to translate celebrated French author Guy de Maupassant’s works into Telugu. And in 1950 he adapted into Telugu the works of Havelock’s Ellis, British sex psychologist. “Seven of his non fiction books are to be released at the book fair. He was the one to bring Kamasutra in Telugu for which Hyderabad-based artist Kiran V has done illustrations,” Narsimha Rao, the late author’s son informs. He adds, “I live in Chennai with my family and am trying my best to introduce his works in Telugu states.”
Another interesting halt point is the stall of Gandhi Global Family and Gandhi Gyan Pratisthan, Nampally. They are celebrating 150 years of Gandhi’s birth anniversary putting on sale books on him. The chairman Gunna Rajender Reddy, the founder, has collected copies photographs of Gandhi’s different life phases from Sabarmati Ashram and a few from London and South Africa.
That’s how one sees the nationalist leader in candid photographs with the likes of Lal Bahadur Shastri, Tagore, Nehru among others. Two wooden statues painted in black are kept at the entrance of the stall, perfect selfie points for the visitors.
At Bharatikala Prakashan stall, which is a 30-year-old venture from Delhi one can find anthologies on Hindi and Urdu classics like Diwan-e-Mir, Diwan-e-Ghalib, Life and Times of Amir Khusro, short stories by Premchand among others. Rest of the books were paperbacks ranging from Danielle Steel, Famous Five, and a few other titles. Says CP Gautam, “Hindi books don’t sell much here. So, we are bringing a mix of other languages as well.”
The stalls are not just from Delhi but also from UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. Earlier many other publishers from Darya Ganj with several rare old collections, but this year there are not there. Explains Chandra Mohan, “Because of the dates of World Book Fair held in New Delhi from January 5, they couldn’t join.”
The book fair is on till Jan 1
Check these out
Buy three second-hand books for `100 at
MR Book Centre
Visalandhra Book House, AP for ‘Akbar Birbal’, ‘Science Olympiad’, ‘Balajyoti Kathalu’, ‘Panchatantram’ in Telugu
Check out Athena Books International, Delhi for old collections like ‘The Wild and the Tame’, ‘My Little Bit’, ‘The Night Wanderer’
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers for coffe table books with illustration on art history, Humanyun-Nama, ‘Treasury of Norse Mythology’
National Book Trust stall for collections like ‘Swami and Friends’, ‘Rangila Parindah’, ‘Naukar Ki Kameez’
Scholastic India for books for young adults
Cartoons Hyderabad has interesting publications in Telugu with funny cartoons that take humorous potshots on demonetization, fuel price hike, and GST
Leftword Books for some power-packed publications
Book releases on weekend
Saturday:
5 pm to 5.45 pm -- Neeti Needa by Kura Chidambara
5.45 pm to 6.30 pm – Radhamma Muchhatlu by Ashwini
Sunday:
5 pm to 5.45 pm – Good Governance by Devi Prasad
5.45 pm to 6.30 pm –Mahabharatam Mana Charitra by Kalluri Bhaskaram
6.30 pm to 7.15 pm – Entha Duram by Gopagaari Ravindar
7.15 pm to 8 pm –
‘World is One Bloody Family’ by Bojjaberg
LOOKing BACK
It was in the year in the year 1985 at City Central Library, Ashok Nagar that the first Hyderabad Book Fair was held with just a handful of publishers and book lovers. Ever since it has seen a melange of regional publications, rare books from publishers in Daryaganj, Delhi, old classics, second hand books, biographies, guides, comic books and more
saima@newindianexpress.com @Sfreen