Assam Book Fair Kicks Off: 14-Day Literary Extravaganza Begins in Guwahati

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Book Fair in Guwahati is set to scale up into a major literary festival this year, featuring an expanded programme, strong participation from national publishers and large-scale recognition for young writers. Organized by the Publication Board Assam in collaboration with the All Assam Book Publishers and Sellers Association, the 14-day fair will be held at the Khanapara Veterinary College playground from December 24.

Publication Board Assam secretary Pramod Kalita said the fair has been advanced this year to facilitate preparations for Republic Day on January 26. He informed that the duration of the fair has been extended from 12 days last year to 14 days, reflecting increased participation and growing footfall.

A total of 135 stalls will be set up, with publishers participating from across the country. These include 11 publishers from Delhi and Haryana, 17 from Kolkata, and one each from Mumbai and Hyderabad, in addition to a large number of publishers from Assam. Kalita noted that several publishers who had opted for smaller stalls last year have upgraded to executive stalls following strong sales in the previous edition.

One of the major highlights of this year’s fair will be the felicitation of 818 young writers, each of whom will receive Rs 25,000. Writers below the age of 35 have also been invited to submit entries for young writers’ meet. A multilingual poets’ meet is scheduled for January 3, featuring poets writing in Assamese, Bodo, Karbi, Mising, Nepali and other Indian languages.

The main auditorium will be named after cultural icon Zubeen Garg, while two others will honour journalist Prafulla Govinda Baruah and litterateur Basanta Kumar Bhattacharya. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will inaugurate the fair, with author Amish Tripathi attending as a special guest. The concluding day will feature noted Odia writer and Sahitya Akademi awardee Paramita Satpathy, along with senior writers Arup Kumar Dutta and Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury.

The Assam Publication Board Xahitya Award will be conferred on Dipak Kumar Barkakati for Aishwarjya, carrying a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, while the publisher Bandhav Prakashan will receive Rs 2 lakh. Organizers reiterated their commitment to a book-only model, focusing on strengthening reading culture and giving Assamese literature a national platform.

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