From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Nov 5: Over a million titles will be on display at the 10-day Bangalore Book Festival (BBF) 2009 set to open at the city’s Palace Grounds from November 6.
The seventh edition of the annual book festival, which will be formally inaugurated by noted Kannada writer G S Shivarudrappa on Friday evening, is expected to generate a record business turnover of about Rs 15 crore.
With more than 340 stalls, quiz contests and cultural programmes will be a veritable treat for book-lovers and is expected to be attended by over 3 lakh people, including students when BBF concludes on November 16, according to BBF programme director B S Raghuram.
The country’s biggest publishers, distributors, exporters and importers are expected to participate in the biggest-ever show, which is said to be India’s second largest book festival after Kolkata, which is being jointly organised by Bangalore Book Sellers and Publishers Association and Klub Class.
Along with Kannada and English books, the festival would feature stalls of Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Bengali books. Over a lakh titles on information technology, biotechnology, management, finance, taxation and banking would be displayed during the event. In addition, publishers and institutions will be having stalls displaying educational aids, Raghuram said.
However, Kannada books and Kannada publishers will enjoy prime place at BBF with as many as 94 stalls. Stalls put up by Navakarnataka, Karnataka Sahitya Parishad and the like, will display the best of Kannada literature available.
So, if you want to look into Kannada literature, the festival is the place to go, Devaru Bhat, secretary, Bangalore Book Publishes Association, said adding: Kannada Book Authority (KBA) has agreed to extend the financial support to the exhibition. The KBA had paid Rs 3.25 lakh to organise the festival in 2008.
Entertainment programmes ranging from light music to fun games, book-reading sessions and title launches would be held during the festival.
An additional sweetener for book lovers will be attractive discounts being offered on all titles, including the latest releases. Kannada language books and litterateurs’ profiles will be available in a wide range.
Publishers such as Oxford University Press, Sage, National Book Trust and religious institutions will participate in the festival. Noted authors from different languages would conduct book-reading sessions daily to encourage the reading habit, Raghuram said.
Complementary passes have been distributed to institutions, schools and colleges, to visit the festival. A total of 39,000 students visited the festival last year.
Kannada film actor Ramesh Aravind is a special ambassador of the BBF.
The book festival is open to the public from 11 am to 8 pm on weekdays and from 11 am to 8.30 pm on weekends. Entry is free for school and college students while for others it will be Rs 20.