GUWAHATI, Dec 15 � Slowly and silently the reading tastes of people are expanding � a fact attested by the wide range of books that are drawing buyers in the 12th Northeast Book Fair. From academic texts to reference books and from self-help manuals to books on spirituality and medicinal plants, the event has also attracted people from diverse backgrounds.
�It is difficult to anticipate what books people are looking out for...it is not just that a few types of books are selling well,� said Kumud Das a sales person at Better World Books.
In a stall of Lalit Kala Akademi, sales were better on weekends but there has been a steady footfall from those interested in art and artists since the day the book fair started. The Akademi is showcasing several publications, some of which are on the Indian masters.
The local publishers have used the event to showcase the work of well known writers. A number of new works were made available in the book fair for the first time eliciting good response from the public. New novels crafted by popular writers are among books that has evoked the interest of buyers.
Makam, Kasor Pyramid, Mohakobi, are some of the novels commanding good sales, revealed a salesperson in the stall of Chandra Prakash.
Prabal Baruah, a resident of North Guwahati was of the view that the book fair had succeeded in bringing into focus a good number of Assamese novels and short story collections. �Its good to have so many works to leaf through in a single venue, saves time,� he added. However, he complained that not too many classics were on sale.
Visiting the book fair for the second time, Asma Hussain, a young professional, said she was impressed by the arrival of some recent novels. �It's difficult to decide when you have books by so many good authors to choose from,� she remarked. However, she and her friend were a bit inhibited by the price of foreign publications.
For the first time in recent years, several works of translation have gained the readers� attention. In the Sahitya Akademi outlet, books like Splendour in the Grass, Astorag, and from Valley to Valley have attracted buyers.
Academic texts in science and management subjects are selling well in their year's book fair according to some booksellers.
According to Suraj Sharma of MacMillan, people from neighboring States, including Arunachal Pradesh, have made visits, and some have purchased in bulk.
