Go for the cover drive: The 33rd Hyderabad Book fair is here

Hyderabad: From literature to fantasy, from adult fiction to spirituality, it's no less than a carnival for book lovers. The 33rd Hyderabad Book Fair, which began on December 23 at NTR Stadium, promises to spread a delectable spread for those who derive pleasure from pages.

The 300 bookstalls at the fair will remain open from 2.30 pm to 8.30 pm on weekdays and from noon to 9 pm on Sunday, December 29. It will end on January 1. The event will have books of almost all Indian languages. According to the organisers, they expecting a footfall of about 10 lakh during the fair this time.

Along with the book fair, visitors will be able to enjoy and be a part of many other events. For kids, a ‘Bala Mela’ has been organised where the children can participate in competitions like dance, storytelling and painting for free.

‘We, With Science Ventriloquism’, a workshop on craft and puppetry, will be held on December 31.

The event this year was inaugurated by Governor of Telangana Tamilisai Soundarajan. Speaking at the inauguration, the Governor said that she herself is an avid book reader and has a personal collection of around 2,000 books. She also said that even though she is busy, she makes it a point to something before going to bed every day.

The Hyderabad Book Fair was first held in 1985 at the City Central Library, Ashok Nagar. Later, it expanded and since the last four years, it is being held at the NTR stadium, said the organisers. Julluru Gowri Shankar is the president of the book fair. Other than the Governor, the inauguration event was attended by, Minister for Tourism V Srinivas Goud, State planning board Vice-Chairman B Vinod Kumar, and TSPSC Chairman Ghanta Chakrapani.