This year (2016) due to Chennai floods in December, the annual book fair got postponed. It’s happening this week – June 1st to 13th 2016. I made my customary visit to the book fair today with my son. This year the book fair is happening in the spacious Island Grounds near Victory War Memorial where the annual trade fair happens in January & February of every year. The organizers have done a good job in terms of parking and stall arrangement this year, kudos to them.
Fine arrangements – well spaced aisles and ceiling fans everywhere to help in air circulation
My deal to my 12 year old was I will gave him Rs.500 at once, he will buy books with that and then call me if he needed additional money which I will give based on existing books he bought; this way I spent a total of Rs.2500 for over 10 books. As for me I just bought two books as I haven’t finished a full book in the last few months, though I have been reading half a dozen currently. The two books were Bill Bryson’s Hardcopy editions of titles I already have in Paperback, as I got a good deal of Rs.125 each.
Optical Discs are still being sold for children titles
Though less in number this year, happy to see new vernacular titles being released
Lot of English titles in many stalls showing the growing socio-economic influence of it
Classic novels like Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan still dominate the fair