KOCHI: The third edition of Krithi International Book Fair and Knowledge Festival is all set to produce some colourful and enlightening days at Marine Drive here which is set to host the event from Thursday to 16. The preparations for the event are going at a fast pace. Litterateurs Prof M K Sanu and Dr M Leelavati will declare the festival open at 6 pm on Thursday. The public can visit the stalls from Thursday noon itself. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the cultural meet to be held in connection with the event at 3 pm on February 15.
The State Co-operative Department is organising the event in association with Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society (SPCS). Poet and president of SPCS Ezhacherry Ramachandran said the historic literary festival of Central Kerala is set to become a huge success this time after its mesmerising first two editions.
A total of 150 publishers will array book in 250 stalls at the exhibition scheduled to be held from February 6 to 16.
As in the previous editions, students from across the state will be given book coupons worth Rs 1.5 crore under the scheme ‘one book for one child’. The scheme implemented through the local co-operative institutions has opened the gates for a unique cultural pilgrimage.
A total of 205 litterateurs and thinkers will take part in 68 sessions in the festival. They include Jnanpith winners Prathibha Rai and M T Vasudevan Nair, A R Venkitachalapathi, P Sainath, Shashi Tharoor and Dr Badri Narayanan.