VISAKHAPATNAM: The world’s largest floating book fair on board the ship, MV Logos Hope, will anchor in Visakhapatnam from July 30. It will be berthed at Visakha Container Terminal till August 11.
Speaking to newsmen here on Wednesday, project coordinator Kathryn Wilson along with her team members Steven and Sabrina Lee said, “Spread across in an area of 610 square metres, this unique book shop offers a selection of over 5,000 titles on a wide range of subjects like science, sports, hobbies, and family life. For children, besides academic books, there are dictionaries and atlas while for the whole family, there is a host of varieties. Every effort is made that local language materials are also available to supplement the large selection of English books. Apart from book sales, Logos Hope also extends literary aid to people in developing countries, Kathryn said.
“Public can visit the book fair during its stay in the city from 10 am to 8 pm from Tuesday to Saturday and from 2 pm to 8 pm on Sunday and Monday. Entry for children under 16 years is free while for others the fee is `50. The children must be accompanied by parents or guardians. The ship has also an international cafe with a seating capacity of 800 where the visitors can meet and interact with the crew and watch interactive displays, she explained.
Logos Hope is operated by the GBA Ships, a German charitable organisation. Constructed in 1973, the ship underwent extensive renovation to house the books. It is the fourth ship to be operated by the organisation. The crew and staff belong to 45 countries and are non-salaried volunteers. The volunteers range from retired persons to children of the families serving on board. Tickets for entry will be available at Town Hall and a shuttle bus will be arranged from Town Hall to the ship gangway for the visitors. “The principal attraction during the ship’s stay will be the “International Night” programme which will take place on August 5 from 7 to 8.30 pm. Crew members from around the world will join to represent their home culture with a variety of songs, dances and other multimedia performances.
The visitors will have the opportunity to experience diverse performances, raging from the Filipino bamboo dance to the graceful Korean fan dance and items from China, Mexico, South Africa, said Manager Andy Davies.