19th New Delhi World Book Fair ...a place to be

Of all the million quotes on books and readings that the thought leaders have put forward down the decades, one coming from Franz Kafka is at once simple and significant. The creator of The Metamorphosis observes “A book must be an ice-Axe to break the seas frozen inside our soul”. How correct he was!

Reading habit of the Indians has undergone a tremendous change with the passage of time. Readers are definitely growing in number and profile. Apart from all the reasons behind this development, the role of Book Fairs also can not be ignored.

New Delhi has earned a reputation of being one of the hubs for book lovers with numerous publishing houses and a bulk of readers. Adding to its name and fame, this year also New Delhi is hosting the The 19th edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF).

This mega event starting from 30 January and ending on 7 February 2010 is organized by National Book Trust, India (NBT). Held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, this fair happens to be the largest Book Fair in the Afro-Asian region.

This time the theme of the fair is decided as "Reading for Common Wealth" keeping a close association with the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi in October 2010. The theme Pavilion will be decorated with Seven hundred titles published by around 75 publishers on different genres of sports.

A joint effort by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Federation of Indian Publishers, this fair allures millions of book-lovers from all over the country. The current edition will see participants from the US, China, UAE, Iran, Pakistan and many other countries.

Incidentally, New Delhi is presently blessed with a pleasant climate with warm sun shine and soothing breeze. So folks, you definitely know where you should plan your weekend...