Books will never lose charm and so will bookshops and book fairs!

The countdown has begun for the Frankfurt Book Fair, which is one of the most sought after book fair. This time, the fair features the first ever ASEAN Forum, which gives an opportunity to get first-hand information about the book markets and publishing scenes of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines in the new ASEAN Forum.

Back home, preparations have begun for the upcoming New Delhi World Book Fair 2019 to be held in January. This is another event which is a must-attend event for all. It is a boon for both publishers as well as book lovers.

Even in this digital age, browsing at a bookstore or a book fair has its own charm. Parents are realising the importance of reading books, specially for their children. Little wonder then that new bookshops are opening up, even though a few are shutting down. Bookshops are becoming progressive — they offer a warm, cosy environment to browse through books of your choice. Few bookshops even have coffee shops while many also offer stationery items and other knick knacks.

Besides, book fairs and literature fests are also enjoying their limelight. They have become more of cultural gatherings rather than just a showcase of books. But, the underlying theme remains the same — to inculcate reading habits and to spread knowledge. A list of some of the important book fairs and literary fests has been given in this issue for your ready reference.

Books are gonna stay for a long time, and when we say books, we mean print books too! Nothing can beat the age-old charm of browsing through a printed book — the smell of ink, the touch of paper, the look of printed words, the sound of turning a paper. Let’s continue to create this magic.

Happy publishing!

Sonal Khurana
sonal@smediagroup.in