Rameez Makhdoomi
Books are the soul of society. The interest in diverse forms of books defines the intellectual success of societies. Book fairs are an important part of the intellectual flare of society. The book fair is an immense opportunity to build students’ home libraries,
Books further enhance their reading and comprehension skills, often building knowledge and vocabulary critical for understanding new subject matter. This practice enables families to make reading a family habit.
Book fairs add colors to society as they also connect society to its roots through cultural and literary activities.
The origins of book fairs can be found in Germany, in Frankfurt, and then in Leipzig. In 1462, the first book fair was held in Frankfurt. The rapid influence of the printing press on these fairs is explained by the proximity of Mainz, where Gutenberg worked.
In India cities like Delhi and Kolkata have defined the history of quality book fairs and now the First ever Book Fair of Jammu and Kashmir happening in Srinagar gives a lot about it.
After a long wait of decades, Srinagar, the historic city of Jammu and Kashmir is going to witness an impressive Book Fair titled Chinar Book Festival, to be held from 17 August to 25 August on the Banks of Picturesque Dal Lake at world Famous SKICC.
The first-ever mega national book festival in the valley will be organized by the prestigious National Book Trust ( NBT) along with the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL). This nine-day book fair, held in front of the picturesque Dal, will feature more than 200 stalls providing access to books in various languages including English, Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi, Dogri, and other Indian languages.
Reflecting on the Chinar Book Festival, Yuvraj Malik, Director, of National Book Trust, India, said, “We invite all to attend this historic Book Fair. This book festival is organized by the people of the Valley and for the people of the Valley, where readers will find more than 200 book stalls. This is an amazing opportunity for youth to learn from the best minds of the country.”
On his part, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar Dr. Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat stated that “Chinar Book Festival will be the first National Book Festival and the biggest book fair of Kashmir Valley”.
DC Srinagar observed that there has not been any festival of such a large scale in Srinagar for a long time, hence this is a great opportunity for the people of Srinagar.
Book lovers are delighted that the Chinar Book Festival for 9 long days will be conducted in Kashmir, as it allows youth to buy the best books, enjoy cultural programs, and learn the art of publishing quality books.
J&K Administration, UT Government, NBT, NCPUL, and Union Government all deserve great credit for making the prestigious Book Fair possible in Kashmir, which will be a golden epoch for the entire region.
Translit Kashmir is the Social Media partner of the event.
