Lucknow: The 21st National Book Fair at Balrampur Gardens in Lucknow has witnessed a significant turnout, attracting readers, publishers, and literary enthusiasts from all walks of life. The fair, a much-anticipated event in the city’s cultural calendar, offers a wide range of books spanning various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, self-help, academic publications, and children’s literature.
This year, the fair has introduced several new attractions, such as interactive sessions with authors of books on startups, storytelling workshops, and panel discussions on the future of publishing. There’s also a dedicated section for regional languages, celebrating the rich literary heritage of India.
In addition to local vendors, prominent national publishers showcaseg their latest releases, catering to diverse reading tastes. The fair is also a great platform for emerging writers and independent publishers, giving them visibility in the literary community.
Visitors have been enthusiastic, with many appreciating the affordable pricing and wide variety of titles available. The event also emphasizes the importance of reading in the digital age, reinforcing Lucknow’s reputation as a hub for literary and cultural discourse.
The influence of Dalit literature was clearly visible in the 21st National Book Fair being held in Balrampur Garden. Buddhist and Dalit literature was available in many stalls of the fair. Startup Lit Fest was a special event.
At the stall of Bahujan Literature, there has been a new edition of Jyotiba Phul’s Gulamgiri book published in 1873, while under the Har Ghar Abhiyan, Dr. ML Parihar’s Har Ghar Samvidhan, Har Ghar Gautam Buddha and Har Ghar Ambedkar books were being sold at low prices.
The 21st National Book Fair had evergreen literature as well as new literature and books in abundance. Along with the elderly, even the youth showed interest in literature and ideological books.
Among the 24 new books published by Rajpal, Sudhir Vidyarthi’s Biday De Ma!, Devdutt Patnaik’s Garuda Purana, Rajendra Rajan’s Hiramandi and Sushil Tanwar’s Mukhbir are being liked.
Among the books of Rajkamal Group, books like Pratyaksha’s Atar Duniya Mein Kya Haasil, Devesh’s Metronoma and Sanjeev’s Prarthana are being discussed. Among the books of Setu Publication Group, Raju Sharma’s Matibhraam, Khadija Mastoor’s Aangan, Premranjan Animesh’s Streegatha and Tharey Vesos’ Barf Mahal translated by Neelakshi Singh were the new books. Among the new books of Prabhat, Dr. Hemant Raje Gaikwad’s Shivaji Maharaj the Greatest along with best seller Abdul Kalam’s Tejaswi Man, Ashutosh Rana’s Maun Muskaan Ki Maar and The Power of Your Subconscious Mind were in demand.
Among the books of Vani Prakashan Group, Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex translated from French to Hindi by Monica Singh, Vishwas Patil’s Great Kanchana Circus, Garima Srivastava’s Hindi Renaissance History Fiction and Stree Prashna were some important books among the new additions. There were many new books at other stalls too.
The stall of Gita Press, which had come to the fair for the first time, had religious texts like Bhagwat Puran, Narad Puran along with a special edition of Manas and also special issues of Kalyan magazine. The stall of Rashtradharma Prakashan also had other types of literature available along with special issues of Rashtradharma magazine. The stall of Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan also had Sanskrit literature in abundance along with ancient Sanskrit texts related to spirituality and philosophy. ‘
The young readers were showing great interest in the books of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda at the stall of Ramakrishna Math. Hundreds of books by Acharya Shriram Sharma explaining religion, spirituality and religious texts in simple terms are on the stall of Gayatri Gyan Mandir.
Books like Satyarth Prakash were on the stall of Arya Pratinidhi. Books related to yoga and meditation are on the stall of Yogda Satsang. Literature related to Islam is on the stall of Ahmadiya Muslim Community and Bible is also available to people on the stall of Gideons.
Prabhat Prakashan came to the fair with dozens of best sellers and new books like Agni ki Udaan, Maharana, 32 Hazar Saal Pahle, Over the Top. Rajkamal’s stall also has books of many old publishers like Radhakrishna, Lokbharati, Sahitya Bhavan, Saransh etc. Fair director Aakarsh Chandel said that the fair has books on almost every subject ranging from children’s, women’s choice to literature, religion-spirituality, art, history, food. Along with Hindi and English, there are many books in Sanskrit and Urdu too.
