For the first time in its 67-year history, Press Club of India hosts debut book fair

The PCI hosted its debut book fair, a three-day event. The last day was Sunday. The fair left a lasting impression on many, prompting the club’s panel members to consider making it an annual tradition.

3 min readNew DelhiMar 3, 2025 08:36 AM IST

The Book Fair by the Press Club of India benefited many Hindi-language journalist-authors who face challenges in the book market, where big names and publishers are often aligned with English-language authors, she added.

The initiative benefited many Hindi-language journalist-authors who face challenges in the book market, where big names and publishers are often aligned with English-language authors, she added. (Screenshot: X/@PCITweets)

For the first time in its 67-year-old history, the Press Club of India (PCI) transformed into a literary platform, showcasing the works of over 100 journalist-turned-authors from among its more than 4,500 active journalist members.

The PCI hosted its debut book fair, a three-day event. The last day was Sunday. The fair left a lasting impression on many, prompting the club’s panel members to consider making it an annual tradition.

Though popular works by renowned journalists from Joe Sacco’s graphic novels ‘Footnotes in Gaza’, ‘Palestine’, to P Sainath’s ‘Everybody Loves a Good Drought’, Kuldeep Nayar’s ‘Beyond the Lines’, Manoj Mitta’s and Vinod Mehta’s works were widely picked up, the spotlight was on the lesser-known authors.

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For instance, Delhi-based broadcast journalist, Rehan Abbas, who launched his poetry book ‘Tapish’ on the fair’s second day, was only known as a broadcast media person in the club circles. “Nobody had an idea he could write such beautiful poetry,” recalled Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, PCI’s vice-president.

Pisharoty said it took a month to bring the idea of providing a platform for obscure journalists who are also authors, to fruition. “I was amazed to see there are so many books written by journalists in so many different languages. Among the more than a hundred club members who applied, some have even written 30-40 books…”

The initiative benefited many Hindi-language journalist-authors who face challenges in the book market, where big names and publishers are often aligned with English-language authors, she added.

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Bhasha Singh, an independent journalist, whose works ‘Unseen: The Truth About India’s Manual Scavengers’ and ‘Shaheen Bagh: Loktantra Ki Nai Karavat’ were featured, lingered even as the 18 book stalls that were carefully propped up inside the club’s premises slowly emptied.

Turning nostalgic, Singh said, “As I am associated with Gulmohar Publishers, we started our journey with Rana Aayub. Nobody was ready to publish ‘Gujarat Files’ so we got the Hindi version out. That’s how five or six of us journalists came together, thinking we could bring out meaningful books…”

The idea behind the book fair was straightforward. According to the club’s panel member, it was to create a “non-elite space”.

“There may be 5% of journalists who can sell their books… but what happens to the remaining 95%? So, we do need spaces which are not elite,” said Pisharoty.

Sophiya Mathew

Sophiya Mathew is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She joined the Delhi bureau in 2024, and has specialization in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Professional Background Core Beats: Her reporting is primarily focused on the Environment and Education. Specialization: She has gained recognition for her ground-level reporting on the Yamuna floodplains and the socio-economic challenges faced by those living on its banks. She also focuses on the disparities in Delhi's education system, ranging from elite private schools to government institutions and refugee education. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent work has been heavily centered on Delhi's severe winter pollution crisis and the government's regulatory responses: 1. The Air Pollution Crisis "A tale of two cities: Delhi govt schools choke in bad air, private classrooms set up air filters" (Dec 20, 2025): A high-impact feature contrasting the "Clean Air Bubbles" in elite schools with the reality of government school students who are exposed to an equivalent of 17 cigarettes a day due to outdoor exposure. "Delhi sees season's worst air day, second worst December AQI in nearly a decade" (Dec 15, 2025): An analytical report on the meteorological patterns trapping pollutants in the NCR. "Delhi bans non-BS VI vehicles from outside: Why curbing vehicular pollution is key" (Dec 17, 2025): Explaining the science behind targeting specific vehicle vintages to lower particulate matter. 2. Enforcement & Regulations "No fuel at pumps in Delhi without valid PUC certificate from December 18" (Dec 17, 2025): Breaking the news on the environment ministry's strict "No PUC, No Fuel" policy. 3. Education Policy "Law to regulate school fee in Delhi risks becoming procedural, say parents" (Dec 13, 2025): Investigating the loopholes in the new Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. "Monsoon Session: Private school fee regulation Bill cleared after four-hour debate" (Aug 9, 2025): Covering the legislative passage of the controversial fee hike regulation. Signature Style Sophiya is known for her observational depth. Her reporting often includes vivid details from school corridors, hospital waitlists, or the banks of the Yamuna to illustrate how policy failures affect the city's most vulnerable residents. She is a frequent expert guest on the 3 Things podcast, where she explains the complexities of Delhi’s environmental laws. X (Twitter): @SophiyaMathew1 ... Read More

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