Annual Book Fair Transforms Jamshedpur into Literary Hub
The 39th edition of the Jamshedpur Book Fair has become the center of attraction for bibliophiles across the city and neighboring towns, with Sunday recording exceptional footfall across all age groups. The annual event, organized by the Tagore Society Jamshedpur, has established itself as a cultural landmark for the literary community.
Diverse Participation and Educational Focus
The ten-day literary extravaganza, running from November 14 to November 23 at Rabindra Bhavan, features an impressive 79 stalls representing 67 publishers. What makes this year particularly special is the significant participation of local publishers, with 12 from Jamshedpur itself, alongside renowned publishing houses from Patna, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi.
Ashish Chowdhury, General Secretary of Tagore Society, highlighted the educational focus: "This year, we have several stalls dedicated exclusively to children's literature. To inspire the next generation of readers and writers, we've distributed free passes to 34 schools across the city for complimentary visits."
Multilingual Literary Treasure
The fair serves as a paradise for book enthusiasts, offering an extensive collection in multiple languages including English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and indigenous tribal languages such as Ho, Santhali, and Kurmali. This linguistic diversity ensures that readers from various cultural backgrounds find something to cherish.
Ravindra Bhatia, a Class 11 student from Loyola School, expressed his excitement: "The Jamshedpur Book Fair is like a treasure hunt for book lovers. We thoroughly enjoy spending hours here discovering rare and interesting books that we wouldn't find elsewhere."
The event has successfully attracted not only students but also academicians, poets, writers, and families looking for quality literary engagement. The weekend saw particularly strong attendance, with visitors flocking to explore the diverse offerings.
Visiting hours are from 2:00 PM to 8:30 PM on weekdays, while on Saturdays and Sundays, the fair opens earlier at 10:00 AM to accommodate the increased weekend crowd.
