Chennai International Book Fair 2025: Bridging Borders with Tamil Literature

The third edition of the Chennai International Book Fair (CIBF) marked a significant milestone, fostering global literary collaborations through over 1,000 MoUs between publishers from 65 countries.

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Chennai International Book Fair (CIBF), in its third edition (January 16–18, 2025), has made an impressive progress with over 1000 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between publishers from 65 countries. The presence of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) as the Guest of Honour and the coming of the African Publishers Network (APNET), ASEAN book publishers Association (ABPA), International Publishers Association (IPA), and Publishers Without Borders (PWB) helped the fair make deeper and meaningful connections towards realising its goal of “Bringing the World to Tamil; Taking Tamil to the World.”

“We remember the historical connection between Tamil Nadu and Italy—a relationship that dates back over three centuries, when the Italian Constantine Joseph Beschi compiled the first Tamil lexicon. This enduring bond highlights a legacy of dialogue, mutual learning, and respect for our shared linguistic and cultural traditions,” said Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children’s Book Fair, during her inaugural remarks and expressed her gratitude to Chief Minister M. K. Stalin for transforming Chennai into a hub for global publishers. Jacks Thomas, Guest Director, BolognaBookPlus said that a lot of work goes into a book fairs, creation and promotion of books are an essential part of a culturally rich and fulfilled society. CIBF in its 3rd year boasts attendance from 65 countries is a huge achievement and a gateway to the international world of publishing. Publishers have flown from all over the world to present new voices, ideas to each other and through each other – to the world. Through the Translation Grants Programme, Tamil books can travel to the international audience, and the world’s literature has the opportunity to be translated into Tamil.

At the closing ceremony Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin congratulated Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Honourable School Education Minister, for the success of the fair. The ancient Tamil language has realized its millennia-old dreams. This golden moment marks the third anniversary of the Chennai International Book Fair, one of the visionary projects of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin. Director of the fair, senior IAS officer P. Shankar, presented a Malayalam translation of Karthik Ram Manoharan’s book on Periyar to the special guest, writer and MP Shashi Tharoor, who praised the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation’s translation efforts. Tharoor was moved when presented with the Malayalam version of Kalaignar’s Kural Oviyam.

Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma, who translated the Tirukkural into English poetry without losing its musical essence, performed Kural 648 as a melody:“When one attains sweetness and order in words – the world rushes to listen.

Writers galore…

The event was celebrated by a lineup of authors, including Imayam, Charu Nivedita, Ambai, Maalan, Shobasakthi, A. R. Venkatachalapathi, Manushyaputhiran, Kutti Revathi, Rajan Kurai Krishnan, Ajayan Bala, Shanmuganantham, Sukirtharani, Perundevi, Veyil, Vijayalakshmi, Y. Balabharathi, Meena Kandasamy, R. Balakrishnan, J. Jayaranjan, Erode Tamizhanban, Subashini, Ayesha Nadarasan, V. Iraianbu, A. S. Panneerselvan, Karan Karki, and Nivedita Louis.

Deals signed…

Through the Tamil Nadu government, trained literary agents, Tamil publishers, publishers from across India, and representatives from 65 countries engaged in trade to buy and sell book rights over three days. Karuppu Prathigal Publishers’ Neelakandan and Amudha signed an agreement with Boobalasingham Book Depot of Sri Lanka to translate Shobasakthi’s novel Ichcha into Sinhala. Uyir Publishers’ Shanmuganantham finalized agreements to take Dr. T. Paramasivam’santhology to multiple languages. Neerai Mahendran of Muthamizharignar Publishers initiated discussions to translate various Dravidian books into global languages. Nakkheeran Publishers’ R. V. Charumathi negotiated deals to bring their journalistic books into multiple Indian and global languages. Other publishers, including Anush of Ethir Publications, Paul Amudharasan of Thadagam Publishers, P. Kandasamy of Kavimurasu Publishers, Kannan Sundaram of Kalachuvadu Publications, Marudhan of Kizhakku Publications, Kavitha of Kavitha Publications, Murali of Kannadasan Publications, Olivannan Gopalakrishnan of Emerald Publishers, Karl Marx Siddharthar of Aazhi Publishers, and Senthilnathan of Aazhi Publishers, successfully entered book trade agreements.

The fair also witnessed over 1,000 agreements, including one to translate the Tamil twin epics Silappathikaram and Manimekalai into Persian and Turkish.

The president of the ASEAN Publishers Association, Sheikh Faisal Bin Mansoor, and the chairman of the African Publishers Network, Lawrence Kibaara, reached agreements for trade in new books.

Tamil, the classical language, has forged global partnerships. G. Arasentiran’s Comparative Dictionary of Proto Indo-European Languages which highlight the strength of Tamil etymology, have been signed for publication by Oxford University Press.

When the Chief Minister visited the pavilions on the closing day, Leticia Ibanez, who translated the works of Imayam, Shobasakthi, and Perumal Muruganinto French, expressed her joy and thanked him for organizing such a remarkable event. The event also felicitated and awarded people promoting publishing.

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