Book lovers' paradise

The World Book Fair 2018 is an interesting mix of genres, publishing trends, selling concepts and readers. As an editorial assistant from Palimpsest Publishing house, Nikita Nair, says, “It is difficult to categorise people coming to the fair. You will find a wonderful mix of diverse readers here.”

Here are some interesting facets of this annual event.

Blind date with a book:

One of the busiest stalls at the fair is Bookchor.com. With its bamboo-covered front and second-hand books invitingly displayed inside, the stall is attracting a lot of young adults. An interesting concept here is the ‘Blind date with a book’ — books wrapped in colourful paper, with just the genre mentioned on it, offering the buyer a surprise read. The concept is quite a sell-out.

“We also have another concept, where you buy a box and take home whatever you can fit in the box,” says Vidyut Sharma, director of Bookchor.com.

Big draw for little ones:

Kids enjoying their winter vacations are turning up in large numbers. They are seen not just exploring books but also enthusiastically involved in fun activities and creative exchange.     

“The children’s category and Young Adult section is doing very well,” shares sales manager from Penguin Random House, Sameer Mahale.

Hot genres:

Books on feminism, crime, short stories and mythology seem to very popular this year at the World Book Fair.

Orient Black Swan’s Regional Business Head, Vinit Mehra says, “We have seen a growth in books related to feminism. It is a growing genre for us.”

Kartik Jailtley from Speaking Tiger too thinks that there is a growth in the number of readers who prefer books on feminism as well as short stories. “Books by women authors are doing really well. Woman to Woman by Madhulika Liddle and Deadlier — A collection of crime fiction are doing very well.”

Sahadi Sharma from Campfire Graphic Novels says there’s been a steady flow of customers interested in mythology. “The first two days were good, weekdays are slower. Biographies too are doing well.”

Not just books:

World Book Fair is not a place where one should go unprepared if one intends to buy books. While some book lovers were spotted with suitcases to carry their books, one can always head to Mohammad Zinnur’s stall to stock up on more bags in case one runs out of space.

“It is a good space for selling bags, the medium-sized ones are selling the most,” shares Zinnur from Iqra Leather Creation.