Delhi Book Fair: At stall with vintage collection, low turnout a worry

The 44th edition World Book Fair was held from January 6-14. Among the books on display at the fair were an illustrated Ramayana translated into Persian by Sumer Chand; catalogues of manuscripts in various languages and translations of Humayun-nama written by Emperor Babur’s daughter, Gulbadan Begum.

Faiz and Isbah, manning the counter, said, “Since the advent of the internet, demand for printed books has fallen. The rare and ancient collection we offer are not available on the net.” The library was initially maintained by the Nawab’s successors. When the Rampur state merged into the United Provinces (present day UP) in 1949, it was handed over to a trust. A conservation laboratory, established in 1995, is responsible for preserving the collection.