Ban on big notes has its impact on book fair

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 9: The Centre’s ban on 500 and 1000-rupee notes has its impact on the 18th North East Book Fair currently underway at Assam Engineering Field in the Chandmari area in the city. On the seventh day of the fair, number of buyers of books has fallen drastically even as there is no decline in the number of visitors. The reason is that the book sellers are not in a position to give changes to the buyers despite much effort from their end.

The main attraction of the book fair today was an interactive session with budding novelist Ravinder Singh, the author of ‘This Love that Feels Right’. Singh appealed to the publishers to draw their attention to the story, cover and the packaging of books before publishing them. He feels that readers are first attracted by the cover of books and then they make inroad into the story.

All Assam Publishers and Sellers’ Association secretary Dhiraj Goswami said: “So far as many as 75 lakh books have been sold at the book fair. This year Pankaj Pathak’s ‘Banoushadhi aru Prakritik Chikitshare Rog Niramoi’ is the best sold one. Copies of the first and second editions of the book, priced at Rs 130, have been exhausted.”