Ahmedabad: The third day of the Ahmedabad International Book Festival lived up to its mission of going global while also staying true to its roots – a theme that was reflected not only in the sessions scheduled for the day but also at the book stalls at the event. For instance, the Gujarat Sahitya Academy has put up a stall at the festival showcasing titles such as Shri Shankaracharya Charitra and Saurashtra Ki Rasdhara that highlight the rich heritage of our country that continues to influence our social fabric even today. In addition, Ahmedabad-based Navrang Printers have published the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita in all sizes, as small as a five-rupee coin.
The Lekhak Manch, i.e. Shabd Sansar, hosted discussions on a wide range of topics, with eminent speakers and guests. Author Raghavji Madhad and short story writer Ram Mori discussed Gujarati literature, highlighting the features of Gujarati literature. Personal finance writer and author of the bestselling book “Let’s Talk Money” Monica Halan spoke about how people can better manage and invest their income. Finally, authors Anisha Motwani and Priyadarshini Narendra expressed their views on gender stereotypes prevalent in Indian society.
Bal Mandap – Another day of fun and learning-filled sessions at Pragya Shivir was exciting for the children. The day began with a storytelling session by renowned author Raksha Dave, wherein she highlighted that the best way to explain things to children is through storytelling and some form of physical activity. Teacher Tanya Shah (who is also the co-founder of Janet’s Little Genius, a children’s education company) led a session titled “Junior CEO: Business Management Activity”, where Shah made the children aware of the importance of protecting personal financial information and taught them how to write a cheque.
Gujarati folk singer Rushabh Ahir performed on the cultural stage. Celebrity chef Jenish Parmar highlighted the virtues of oats and explained why the grain should find a place on our plate or bowl, as it has special nutritional benefits. Along with discussing his book ‘Heaven on Tongue’, the chef also shared a recipe made of oats, which the audience can easily make themselves.
The third day of the Ahmedabad International Book Festival organised three workshops for its visitors – the first workshop introduced the participants to the art of block printing, while the second workshop saw artist Aon Chitara paint an artwork of Matanipachedi (a 700-year-old Gujarati art) live in front of the audience. The third workshop saw self-taught artist Jayendra Gohil lead a session on conceptual painting.
The Children’s Film Festival continued to showcase films on the third day with diverse and inspiring titles, including the Chinese student film ‘Half of a Fairy Tale’, Uruguayan English-language drama ‘Where Are You From’ and the Indian short film ‘Chhoti Baarish’.
Highlights from the fourth day
We are moving towards the fourth day of the Ahmedabad International Book Festival, which will see fun and exciting sessions on a range of topics and art forms. The highlights of the fourth day include the much-awaited Ghazal Sammelan featuring eminent literary personalities like poets and writers Vinod Joshi, Pratapsinh Dabhi, Harish Meenasru, Ushaben Upadhyay, Prashan Kishore Jadav and Mukesh Joshi. The session will be moderated by renowned poet and writer Hardwar Goswami. Writer Kumud Verma will also be discussing her book ‘Andaman – An Amazing Charm’ in a session at the writers’ forum ‘Shabd Sansar’. Chef Heena Gautam will be present at the culinary forum – Rasoi aur Kitab with a session titled ‘Sattu – A Protein-Rich Legacy of Indian Wellness’. The Children’s Film Festival of Ahmedabad International Book Festival will showcase engaging films like Indian short film ‘Ballad of the Mountain’, Indonesian animation short ‘Desa Timun: The Cucumber Village’.
