Books will never wither away8217;

Books and the printed word will continue to dominate the modern-day information scene, despite the growth of worldwide web and Internet, said actress and MP Shabana Azmi. She was inaugurating the sixth British Book Fair, which will be held till Januar 23 at the University of Mumbai8217;s convocation hall at Fort.

Earlier Robert Frost, First Secretary, Cultural Affairs, The British Council Mumbai, said that the British book industry has grown tremendously in India, especially so because Britain is the largest exporter of books in the world. Last year, about 120,000 new titles were produced and the number of publishers runs into thousands, he said.

Frost also welcomed the reprint of British books in India, as was reflected in most stalls in the fair. However, he came down heavily on the widespread piracy of British books. 8220;We are heavily involved in stamping out book piracy. It is very fitting to have a panel discussion on this subject tomorrow.8221;

Azmi, Frost and other dignitaries of the British Council wrote anti-piracy messages on the wall towards the end of the function.