Bid winter adieu with the Delhi World Book Fair from Feb 10-18
Delhi Book Fair 2024: Grab info on tickets, timings, event schedules and travel advice for this expo, now in its 52nd year.
Delhi's edition is India's second largest after the Kolkata Book Fair. (Image: nbtindia.gov.in) The New Delhi Book Fair is back in Pragati Maidan from February 10 to 18, 2024. Organised by the National Book Trust with the ITPO, this year’s theme is ‘Multilingual India: A Living Tradition’ with gates open to visitors from 11am to 8pm every day.
Entry is free for children in school uniform, senior citizens and the differently abled. For everyone else, tickets are priced at Rs 20 (adults) and Rs 10 (children). Saudi Arabia is this year’s guest of honour, with 25 delegates from the Kingdom attending to showcase their literary heritage amid the fair’s 2000-plus stalls.
“This has been a long-awaited event for us to participate in,” Arab News quoted Dr. Abdullatif Al-Wasel, publishing general manager of the Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, as saying. He stressed its importance to boost bilateral ties, after “Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to New Delhi in 2019” and the signing of MoUs on cultural affairs.
Closer home, the Sahitya Akademi has planned programs around India’s indigenous languages. From February 11 to 17, speakers representing Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Assamese, Maithili, Santhali and the Sindhi language will platform their experiences at Lekhak Manch (Hall 2) and Bal Mandap (Hall 3) of Pragati Maidan.
#SahityaAkademi on the occasion of “New Delhi World Book Fair 2024” organises various Literary Programme during 11-17 February 2024 at Lekhak Manch (Hall No.-2) & Bal Mandap (Hall No.-3), Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.@rashtrapatibhvn @PMOIndia @kishanreddybjp @arjunrammeghwal… pic.twitter.com/2JCZG1gzOw
— Sahitya Akademi (@sahityaakademi) February 10, 2024
Don’t Miss | The Express Mini Crossword, made daily for lovers of literature
Event schedules and footfall
A granular look at events can be found on the National Book Trust’s X (formerly Twitter) handle, where day-to-day schedules will be published. Between 25,000 to 30,000 visitors are expected daily, with numbers rising to 40,000 on the weekend (PTI).
Join us for an eventful first day of #ndwbf2024! Here are the scheduled events of the day.#बहुभाषीभारत #MultilingualIndia pic.twitter.com/lE4fXdmi0M
— National Book Trust, India (@nbt_india) February 10, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Some zones being showcased are the:
> Theme Pavilion, decked up by NID Ahmedabad. Literary and cultural activities related to indigenous languages will be held here.
> Children’s Pavilion, for storytelling sessions, workshops, panel discussions, quizzes and contests. The NBT mentions the presence of “renowned authors and illustrators” here with education and publishing professionals.
Children’s books are a big draw at the Delhi Book Fair. (Representative image from prev. edition)
> Author’s Corners, to be present in various halls for book launches and related activities.
> Yuva Corner, where 75 young authors chosen and mentored through an all-India contest will interact with visitors about their writing.
> CEOSpeak, an international trade conference on publishing, to be held on the sidelines of the fair by the NBT and FICCI.
Postcard from JLF | Does fiction matter? Vivek Shanbhag and Raj Kamal Jha answer
How to reach the Delhi Book Fair
The Delhi World Book Fair 2024 will be held in Halls 1 to 5 of Pragati Maidan on Mathura Road. The nearest Metro station is Supreme Court (previously ‘Pragati Maidan’) on the Blue Line. Metro commuters can enter the fair from Gate 10.
Car parking will be available at “Bhairon Mandir Parking” opposite Gate 4 of Pragati Maidan, with limited lots in Basement 1 and 2, says one Paytm Insider listing. Congestion is likely, so it is wise to secure tickets early online. The Delhi Police issued an advisory on Friday for motorists to avoid Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg, Ring Road, Shershah Road and Purana Quila Road to ensure a hassle-free journey.
For more alerts on knowledge events, quizzes and contests, you can follow Express Puzzles & Games (@iepuzzles) on Instagram.
Share
