Over 1.5 lakh visitors attend Pune Book Festival over weekend

According to Pandey, both exhibition halls witnessed a steady rush of readers buying books in Marathi, Hindi and English, covering a wide range of subjects. The presence of foreign visitors was also noted. “From Saturday morning to Sunday evening, more than 1.5 lakh people visited the festival, and many chose to buy multiple books rather than limiting themselves to a single purchase,” he said.

Apart from book shopping, families spent time at the children’s corner and attended cultural programmes organised at the venue. Visitors were not limited to Pune city alone, with students, teachers and professors from Pimpri Chinchwad and rural parts of Pune district also attending in large numbers.

A 10 per cent discount is being offered by the NBT on book purchases, while several well-known publishers are providing additional discounts. This has had a positive impact on sales, Pandey said, noting that detailed information on bestselling titles, popular subjects and total turnover would be shared in the final phase of the festival.

Libraries and colleges buy books in bulk

Western Maharashtra is home to a large number of universities, colleges, public reading rooms and libraries, which regularly procure books. Pune’s central location and the availability of discounted titles make the festival cost-effective for such institutions.

A large number of colleges and libraries are purchasing books in bulk at the festival. Librarians said the event helps them discover new books and emerging authors, while also offering insights into current literary trends. Direct interaction with authors, they added, makes the festival particularly beneficial for educational institutions and libraries.