The 17th edition of the Books and Education Fair 2013 is seeing an impressive number of book lovers thronging the venue. Organised by Global Exposition and Management Services (GEMS) in association with the National Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association of Nepal, the expo taking place in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, features 105 stalls from 87 companies.

According to Keshav Khatri, coordinator of the fair, around 2,500 individuals visited the fair on Friday, while Saturday’s footfalls were 9,000. “This is an impressive figure,” said Khatri. “We have targeted to attract 45,000 people, and going by the trend, we are sure to achieve it.”

Khatri said a significant rise in the number of book readers in the country over the past few years has played a crucial role in making book fairs a big success. “16 years back when we started this expo, around 5,000 at maximum would show up,” he said, adding this edition has proved the increasing love of Nepali people towards book s.

Most of the stalls on Saturday were busy attending visitors. Writers like Binod Chaudhary, Govinda Mainali and Saroj Raj Adhikari, among others, signed their book s for the visitors at a book signing ceremony.

Khagendra Bhattarai, managing director of Pairabi Books, said both writers and publishers can now make a sound income from book business. Bhattarai, who has been in the industry for the past 25 years, says Nepali readers have shown a strong shift in their nature of book reading. “While the number of regular book readers until five years ago was negligible,

the figure now hovers somewhere around 5,000,” he said, adding most of the Nepali readers prefer autobiographies and literary pieces.

Ganesh Ghale, store in-charge at Ekta Books, the authorised importer of Penguin Books, feels timely availability of book s from the international market too has helped change the dynamics of book business in Nepal. “Until a few years ago, the domestic book market would only see course book s coming in from the foreign markets. Now, low price edition of popular book s are also coming here,” Ghale said, adding Nepali people are getting a book priced at around $8 in the international market at Rs 250-300 in Nepal which has also helped in uplifting the market.

The nine-day expo will come to an end next Saturday. Apart from book s, there are several stalls of educational institutions and a photo exhibition going on.

Binod Chaudhary biography for Rs 190
Nepalaya, the publisher of Binod Chaudhary’s autobiography ‘Binod Chaudhary - Atmakatha’, has introduced a student edition of the book at Rs 190. The special edition has been launched coinciding with the ongoing book fair. On Saturday, Chaudhary signed the book s available at the special price to expo visitors. Interacting with the visitors, he said the reward and success he has garnered from the book has much to do than that of monetary value. “The recognition and love I have received through this book is much higher than any of the recognition and love I got before,” he said, adding the book has helped him be more reasonable towards his doings. During an hour-long candid talk with visitors, Chaudhary indicated there might be a sequel of his popular book coming in the future. “There are many chapters in my life which are still to be unfolded,” he said.

source: the kathmandu post,26 may 2013