PANAJI
Goa will witness the first national level Goa Book Festival from February 4-8 at Dayanand Bandodkar ground in Panaji, bringing together writers, readers, publishers, thinkers, researchers, students and parent-children on a single platform celebrating books, ideas and culture.
The fair, organised by National Book Trust (Ministry of Education) in association with the government of Goa, Samarth Yuva Foundation and Lokmanya Cultural Foundation will invite writers from across the country, historians, intellectuals, Bollywood celebrities and law experts to participate and share their thoughts in interactive sessions and to offer immersive experiences for the audiences of all ages.
“With an ocean of stories at its heart, the Goa Book Festival will house over 200 book stalls by over 100 publishers, showcasing wide and diverse range of titles in English, Marathi, Hindi, Konkani and other Indian languages,” stated Yuvraj Malik, director National Book Trust and CEO of Book Fair under ministry of education while addressing media in Panaji.
Malik, while announcing that this event is one out of the several activities conducted to promote book reading culture in the country, expressed hope that Goa will have its first such mega book festival which will be an added attraction to the State’s eventful calendar.
A special exhibition titled ‘Goa: Stories of Light and Delight’ projecting the representative works of eminent artists from Goa who have contributed to the making of many classics for children published by National Book Trust. The exhibition will bring out works of Mario de Miranda and Shashi Shetye from ‘Stories of Light and Delight’ and ‘Goa’, respectively, stated Malik.
Through Shetye’s evocative, memory-rich artwork that captures Goa’s landscapes, traditions and local charm, alongside Mario de Miranda’s witty, stylised and socially textured illustrations depicting the spirit of Goan life, the exhibition will offer visitors a visual journey into the culture, imagination and storytelling heritage of Goa.
The works will present an artistically rich portrait of Goa, added the NBT director. “The fair will also feature a special exhibition celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram and the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel @ 150,” he further said.
Kiran Thakur, founder of Lokmanya Cultural Foundation stated that the book fair with over 200 stalls and thousands of books, is expected to attract two lakh citizens in Goa. There will be exhibitions, sales, book publications, engaging interactive sessions and children’s activities too. There is no entry fee for any of the events, and a discount of 10% on all books. The festival will remain open from 11 am to 8 pm, but the time can be extended if the visitors want to spend more time at the venue.
The book festival will offer engaging experiences inviting readers to participate and explore. A special focus on young readers including learning-with-fun activities for children, featuring storytelling with puppets and musical storytelling sessions, clay art workshops, cartoon-making, poster and bookmark making, slogan writing, story theatre, drawing, quizzes, folk dance performances and interactive sessions such as ‘round the riddle’ are designed to spark imagination and nurture a lifelong love for reading.
A dedicated Author’s Corner will host a compelling series of literary sessions, creating a space where an ocean of ideas and perspectives will be shared. Celebrated authors, journalists, thinkers and creative voices from across India will engage with audiences through talks, conversations and discussions.
