65+ countries take part in Chennai International Book Fair

Based on the response, publishers will buy the rights to additional books,” said an official from the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation.
School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi during the inauguration of the international book fair on Thursday
School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi during the inauguration of the international book fair on Thursday(Photo | Express)
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CHENNAI: Publishers from 65 countries, along with representatives from various states across India, set up pavilions at the International Book Fair inaugurated by Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Thursday. Officials anticipate the signing of over 1,000 MoUs for translations of books, particularly children’s literature, from Tamil to other languages and vice versa during the event.

Speaking at the inauguration, Minister Poyyamozhi highlighted that the Tamil Nadu Translation Grant has been extended to 166 Tamil books across 32 languages in the past two years. The state allocates `3 crore annually for this grant, offering up to `2.5 lakh per book for translation. “A Rights Hub has been established at this year’s fair to connect publishers and buyers. Through initiatives like the Tamil Nadu Translation Grant Programme, the CIBF Fellowship and the Literary Agent Programme, we aim to bring Tamil literature closer to global audience,” he said.

The African Publishers Network (APNET), a forum of publishers from Africa, has planned to translate children’s books created by the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation into various African languages, apart from English. Francophone countries have also expressed interest in these books.

“We will provide grants for translating a few books initially. Based on the response, publishers will buy the rights to additional books,” said T Sankara Saravanan, co-director of Chennai International Book Fair.

The event saw the participation of several authors, publishers and literary agents. “Han Kang, a South Korean writer, won the Nobel Prize for Literature nearly 70 years after the Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) started. Achieving such milestones requires consistent efforts to promote translations of Tamil literature and support writers in reaching international audience,” said Peer Mohamed, a literary agent.

Officials from the Directorate of Public Libraries and the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation also attended the event.

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