The New Delhi World Book Fair 2012: focuses on books on Indian cinema

The biennial New Delhi World Book Fair has been earning the reputation for offering international rights initiatives on a particular theme – in 2008, it was Mahatma Gandhi; in 2010, it was the sports and the year 2012 will see an international rights exhibition on books on Indian cinema. Here’s more on the 2012 New Delhi World Book Fair.

Kumar Vikram and Satish Kumar of NBTTo be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from February 25-March 4, 2012, the 20th edition of New Delhi World book Fair is entering the 40th year of its foundation. The show is well organized by the National Book Trust (NBT), an autonomous organisation founded in 1957 by the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru under the Ministry of HRD, Govt of India as the national body for book publishing and book promotion.

The 2010 edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair was spread over an area of 42,000 sq m and attracted more than 1,200 exhibitors from India and abroad. However, the official figures for the visitors to the show are not available though NBT officials say that at weekends, the footfall remained more than lakh book lovers a day.

“We are expecting a bigger and better show this time – with Hall 1-14 already booked for the show,” told Satish Kumar, joint director (production), National Book Trust and presently its director. “This time, as a value-added feature, we are also offering bare space to the exhibitors, who wish to install their own theme-stalls. This would obviously save them some cost than the stall space.”

Taking forward their trend of offering theme-based international rights exhibition, the fair, this time, will have a right exhibition on Indian cinema. “This time, there would an international right exhibition of books on Indian cinema which is poised to complete 100 years in 2013,” added Kumar Vikram, editor, NBT and project in-charge of the Theme. “The exhibition seeks to find a connect with the points-of-view that the world of books and that of cinema present to the reader as well as the audience who may be, many a time, one and the same. It is our sustained effort to find a connect between the popular culture and the book culture” he added. Books published in English and all Indian languages in their original language edition on Indian cinema, actors, actresses, directors, producers, music composers, lyricists and the vast array of unknown personalities who have enriched this powerful medium would form a part of this show. “A rights catalogue would also be produced for the books displayed during the show and these catalogues would also be available as priced editions,” added Vikram.

But, does NBT, as such, also have books on Indian cinema? “We have some books like The Cinema of Satyajit Ray, biography of Dada Sahab Phalke, Balraj Sahani, etc and we are also exploring the possibility of bringing a few more titles related to cinema on the occasion,” replied Satish. The publicity for the fair has already started – both in India as well as abroad. “We are promoting our fair through all the embassies, overseas federations and associations etc to attract international exhibitors to the show,” he added.

Besides, the show will have well-defined categories of exhibits – children, science & technology, Hindi & languages – to name a few. Also, there would be regular features like book launches, seminars, meet the author events, and special pavilions dedicated to children and youth etc.

And that’s not all – the New Delhi World Book Fair would have better infrastructure and logistics this time. “We are trying to enhance the overall standard of the fair. The furniture would be better and so would be the communication system within the show. Unlike last year, when the allotment of stalls was done at a very later stage, this time we will have a smoother and well in time system for the same,” concluded Satish.