The wait is over for book lovers in the national capital as the stage is set for the New Delhi World Book Fair which will commence on February 11 at Pragati Maidan and conclude on February 18.
Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, the mega event is expected to witness a 25 per cent increase in footfall compared to the previous year, NBT Director Yuvraj Malik said.
Briefing the media on Thursday, NBT said that Saudi Arabia has been designated as the guest of honor for this year’s event. Representatives from countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Russia, Taiwan, Iran, UAE, Austria, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and several others, will also take part in the World Book Fair.
A specially designed pavilion for children will focus on enhancing communication skills. Workshops covering topics like news writing, script writing, story writing, animation story development, and others, have also been planned for children.
Participants, particularly children, will also have the opportunity to take part in panel discussions and engage themselves in public-speaking activities.
The event will also showcase cultural programmes from Saudi Arabia. More than seven publishers from the guest of honour countries will participate in the book fair.
According to NBT, the entry ticket price for adults is Rs 20 and for children Rs 10. Entry will be free for school children in uniform and those on school-organised tours, Divyang jan (persons with disabilities), and senior citizens.
The timing of the book fair is 11 am to 8 pm.