BLIZZARD OF BRAINS

Ok, so all you bibliophiles n pedants out there, a brilliant opportunity for you to test and amplify your literary skills as well as flaunt it.

Yes I’m talking about the annual "WORLD BOOK FAIR 2008" which is going to ensue in our very own Delhi at our favorite trade fair haunt PRAGATI MAIDAN. The world book fair is believed to be one of the most eminent trade fair of books and educational material and has participants from within and outside the nation. The fair not only showcase books and teaching aids but it also flaunts a vast collection of journals, periodicals, newspaper, and stationery and library materials.

This fair is quite different from the other book fair that happens in November because this fair is only for trade purposes and there is no retail involved. So the visitors would probably comprise of book sellers, book retailers, librarians, teachers, professors, wholesalers, literary agents etc.

The year 2008 as claimed by some national daily will be the year of book worms; n this is just the preliminary…Image the New Year kicking off with some really outstanding book fairs like the “Thiruvananthapuram Book Fair” then the “Guwahati Book Fair” and now the “WORLD BOOK FAIR.” This is indeed a great beginning and a great omen too for bibliophiles…:)

It seems to me a proffer too enthralling to renounce. So step up and step out and be primed for a squall of acumen coming your way in next to no time…

Till then

Suelta le Arma Por Favor
&
Adios……

CELEBRATED REFLECTIONS

The book launches are becoming one-off in publishing conduit but I deem that they are a great platform to promote and seize discussion for imperative and fretful issues, spaced out from launching the book, of course.

But as typical, keeping the aged norm in mind, I’ll be talking “books” here.
Recently there happened two book launches, one a book on bollywood by a bollywood connoisseur and the other being a cartoon book.

The book called ‘Reflections’, is a pictorial coffee table book by a bollywood veteran silver screen photographer, showcase a plethora of pictures of eminent bollywood personalities.
It was considered a privilege to be photographed by him, said a noted yesteryear’s actress.

Dhiraj chawda, the photographer has incarcerated many bollywood personalities in his camera ranging from Devika Rani, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand. Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar, classical music exponent pundit Ravi Shankar, music directors SD Burman, RC Boral and even present days actresses like Karisma Kapoor and Kajol as babies.

WA RE WAH..!! Applause applause… oh I’m sorry I deviated from my theme. But no, I didn’t, actually this is what the other book called. ‘WA RE WAH’-a compilation of cartoons, topics on cartooning and cartoonists. The book contains addresses and telephone numbers of 26 eminent cartoonists from all over India.

Quite an interesting contemplation, I must declare. Keeping the interest quotient modernize, the launch too of the book was quite pioneering.
Cartoonists P. Mohammed, Prakash Shetty, S.V. Padmanabha and Chandra Gangolli, and the author of the book Vasant Hosabettu drew cartoons on the spot. Later, magician Uday Kanathur put the cartoons in a magic box and made them vanish and lo and behold – pulled out the “Wa Re Wah” book from the box.

Well well well, it seems that there is something impressive in civic now, to sensitize my reading and arty buds… pssst… ;-)

TREAT FOR WORMS....

Hey, u got it all wrong.... read the post to know which uncanny worms i'm talking about..

The year 2008 will be the “YEAR OF BOOKWORMS” as claimed by a national daily, with big authors and bigger numbers, the Indian publishing industry seems all set for a grand new year.
The industry is getting increasingly corporative and a lot of retail space is due to be added. Also industry insiders anticipate alteration in the relation between publishers, distributors and retailers.
The dawning of the New Year hosted two book festivals for the avid book lovers. One was the Thiruvananthapuram book fair and the other Guwahati book fair.

Thiruvananthapuram book fair
The capital city of Kerela, a city of book lovers, is playing host to an eleven-day-long International book fair started on December 29th.
The book fair is organized as a part of the “Grand Kerala Shopping Festival” and was inaugurated by Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
Books of every possible genre, size and audience are put on view to enthrall the potential buyers and in all languages.

All the leading publishers in the country such as Penguin Books, Oxford University Press, Roli Publications, Rupa Publications, Sahitya Akademi, Pearson International, Orient Longman, Scholastic, Sage, Macmillan and National Book Trust of India are participating in the fair.
The fair will also endow with a forum for interaction amid book enthusiasts, authors, publishers, book merchants and libraries.

Special Programmes for children featuring Mrinalini Sarabhai and Kanchana Mukherjee are also organized, in addition to the daily book review gala and painting competition.


Guwahati book fair
As an abiding trait, the Guwahati Book Fair has been an instantaneous hit with the book aficionados, attracting around 12,000 visitors every day on an average, regardless of the bulging seethe of violence swallowing up the State.

The fair, which started on December 30, is 12-day programme, participated by more than 100 publishers and booksellers from across the country.
“Books still enjoy the zeal and attention of the intellectuals throughout the world, though after the advent of the internet, television and other modern gadgets, the existence of books was considered under threat,” said noted linguist Dr Pramod Chandra Bhattacharya while inaugurating the 22nd Guwahati Book Fair
With the inaugural ceremony of the book fair, the Publication Board has also set in motion its yearlong golden jubilee year celebrations.
As part of the board’s plan to release 52 new books and 25 reprints, more than 30 books were released in the fair by veteran journalist Radhikamohan Bhagawati.

Altogether 105 booksellers, distributors and publishers from athwart the country have taken part in the fair. Fifty-seven firms from the State, 25 from Kolkata, 18 from Delhi and one firm each from Ludhiana, Patna, Meerut, Mumbai, Pune and Shillong have taken part in the fair.

The main entrance of the fair is designed with a collage of the PBA publications’ snapshots printed aesthetically.

The book fairs are certainly an indulgence for the ardent booklovers and not only the book lovers but also an establishing floor for the various publishers.

The year 2008 is indeed going to be a "year of worms.....

oh..... bookworms"....!!!