Last day offers set stall cash registers ringing

Hyderabad: Hyderabad National Book fair exhibition which concluded on New Year witnessed 8.5 Lakh footfall. The 10-day long book exhibition held at NTR Stadium was nothing short of a festival as it brought several book stalls and book shops from across the country under one roof.

Book lovers hoarded like there's no tomorrow at the stalls, on an average at least a Lakh visitors visited the stall each day for 10 long days annual book fair.

"8.9 lakh footfall were observed this time, compared to last year, 40 per cent excess footfall was witnessed and we are expecting 10 lakh visitors next year. Stall keepers ended up the last day with joy as they received enough profits with the exclusive last day offers," said Shruthikanth, Hyderabad Book fair Organiser.

Around 318 stalls welcomed book lovers for the annual book exhibition this year, crowds thronged for the regional literatures as most of the stalls were filled with books of different genres in Telugu, Hindi and Urdu.

Stalls also spotted with publishers like Penguin Random House, Hachette, Harper Collins, Bhavans, Emesco, Scholastic, Vyasa Publications, Navachethana Publishing House, and many more.

Apart from new books, we also find old and unused stock along with preloved books. Hyderabad-based book stores like MR Book Centre, Best Book Centre, Unique Book Store, Book Mark, Arts & Letters have set up stalls.

We also can find New Yorker's 75th Anniversary Cartoon Collection at Rs 450, DC Comics at Rs 25 upwards, Tintin hard bounds at Rs 400 and many more cartoon collections fascinated children at book fair.

Some stores from different states of India such as stalls from Mumbai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad have brought home and few precious rare finds by Italo Calvino and Sylvia Plath attracted youngsters at the fair.

Telugu literature from Sri Sri, Yadanapudi Sulochana Rani, Chalam, Bapu are the excessively sold copied from all the stalls. Senior citizens and women from 25-60 age group grabbed these copies.

This exhibition held from December 23 to January 1 at Telangana Kala Bharati (NTR Stadium) presented free entry for senior citizens along with massive flat 50-70% offers on the last day.Children games, Food stalls at the exhibition kept people entertained. The rains on the on last day did not deter book lovers from visiting the fair.

In the heavy downpour buying Bhagvad Gita, Sonali, 35, said that, "Class of a person is maintained by choice of his books. Reading mythological books like Keepers of Kalachakra, Shiva trilogy, Scion of Vishwaku makes my day." Understanding Shiva, Truths of Kamakhya, Prostitutes of God are few Mythological books were in demand this season.