Over 8.21 lakh visit 11-day Ahmedabad International Book Festival

More than 300 publishers participated in the festival, which was organised jointly by the AMC, National Book Trust of India and Union Ministry of Education in an area of about 1 lakh square feet.

Three special zones created for different age groups, in which activities such as children’s literature, creative sessions, poetry readings, discussions with authors, workshops and a film festival were organised, attracted people in large numbers, the AMC said.

“The ‘Gyan Ganga’ workshops for the youth contributed greatly to the grand success of the festival. Creative workshops including poetry writing, drama, film scripting and book design and various book launch sessions brought students, writers and creators together. The spacious food court, startup zone, unique stamp exhibition of VR gaming and the conducive atmosphere for reading made the event a memorable experience for visitors,” the AMC said in a statement on Sunday.

Thinkers from Chile, Spain, England and South Africa gave special sessions on topics related to Indian literature and culture. The cultural programmes held daily on the main stage kept the entire festival alive, it added.

Children’s workshops, talk shows, arts and crafts, and a children’s film festival gained special popularity in this book festival. Thousands of students were encouraged by giving prizes in various competitions.

Gujarat Vidyapith’s stall

Titles such as Jodani Kosh, Hind Swaraj, Satyana Prayogo, and literature on Adivasi studies drew remarkable interest, contributing to the sale of more than 4,000 books at the Gujarat Vidyapith’s stall at the festival.

“The Sarth Jodani Kosh, Gujarat Adivasi Sarvasangrah, Gandhi’s autobiography ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’, ‘Hind Swaraj’, and ‘Ahmedabad na Sthalanamo’ emerged as top picks among visitors. In total, more than 4,000 books were sold,” Gujarat Vidyapith authorities stated.

The distinctive feature of the stall was its extensive collection of works on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel—23 titles in all—available only at the Gujarat Vidyapith stall.

Books such as Sardar: Ek Samarpit Jeevan, Patel: A Life, Hind na Sardar, Sardar na Bhashhano, and Sardar no Patravyavhar were widely appreciated.

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