47th edition of the annual Chennai Book Fair inaugurated, here’s what you need to know

The Chennai Book Fair 2024 has been inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday at Nandanam YMCA grounds. This is the 47th edition of the fair and will be held from January 3, 2024 to January 21, 2024. Visitors may come from 11:00 am to 8:0 pm on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and 2:00 pm to 8:30 pm on weekdays.

As per an official statement released by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI), approximately 900 book stalls have been established for this year’s event. Additionally, customers will enjoy a 10% discount on their book purchases during the fair. Many literary events have been planned to be held throughout the days of the book fair.

“In previous editions, the footfall dropped during the weekdays, especially during the day. This caused difficulties to stall members since they had to open early. Hence, we decided to push back the opening time,” said Senthilnathan, executive member, BAPASI.

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department, in collaboration with entities such as the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation, World Tamil Research Centre, and others, will host a stall at the book fair. Additionally, Thirunangai Press LLP will participate for the second time, and there is a notable increase in the number of stalls dedicated to ecology-related books due to growing interest in the subject.

Furthermore, Poompuhar, an initiative by the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation aimed at improving the livelihoods of artisans, will feature a dedicated hall for public visitation within the fair premises. BAPASI has also arranged competitions for students to engage in during the book fair.