This time arrives every year, when all book lovers excitedly queue outside the gates of Pragati Maidan, waiting to treat their eyes and minds to an abundance of books and all things literary.
As is evident, we are talking about Book Fair (one that happens in the month of September is Delhi Book Fair and the one in January-February is the New Delhi World Book Fair), but why restrict it to the hardcore readers? While there’s no gainsaying the fact that the halls are a haven for readers, the fair also holds the promise of making the non-readers fall in love with reading.
And as a student, we need to absolutely pay a visit to the fair at least once. Once is enough to make you return every time.
Here’s why:
1. Wide variety
The book fair houses a multitude of books, from novels to educational books, to comics. You name it and the fair has it. As college students, it is necessary for us to read more than just course books, and reference books for preparation of entrance examinations.
2. Cheap Bargains
Last time I visited the fair, I managed to lay hands on books for as cheap as ?20. It just takes some sorting and searching, and you can save a lot of money, and still get to own a decent collection of novels and non-fiction books. And since college students are always broke, this seems a good way to save up.
3. Book launches and author meetups
The book fairs have, from the past few years been a hub for author meet-ups, book signings, panel discussions and book launches. This makes them the intellectual arena for literary exchanges and fangirling.
4. Stationery fair
The book fair is almost always accompanied by a stationery fair. Who can appreciate stationery as much as students do? Beautiful diaries, pens, folders, notebooks, among other things, all under one giant roof.
Featured Image credits: Newberry.org
Kritika Narula
