Chennai Book Fair: Difference between revisions

|name=Chennai Book Fair|status=Active|genre=Fair|begins={{start date|2021|02|24|df=y}}|ends={{end date|2021|03|09|df=y}}|frequency=Annually|venue=[[YMCA College of Physical Education|YMCA Grounds, Nandanam]]|location=[[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]|years_active={{age|1977|12|14}}|first={{start date|1977|12|14|df=y}}|last={{date|09 january 2020}}|organised=Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI)|website=[http://bapasi.com/?lang=en bapasi.com]|image=Book fair-Tamil Nadu-35th-Chennai-january-2012-PATH 1- part 6.JPG|image_size=250px|caption=Book Fair Entrance}}

'''Chennai Book Fair''' or '''Madras Book Fair''' is an annual [[book fair]] organized in [[Chennai]], [[India]] by the [[Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India]] (BAPASI). The fair typically lasts for about two weeks during the [[New Year]]-[[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]] season. The fair is usually held between the last week of December and the third week of January.<ref name="timeduration">{{cite book|title=Chennai|first=Rina|last=Kamath|pages=105|publisher=Orient Blackswan|year=2000|id={{ISBN|8125013784}}, {{ISBN|978-81-250-1378-5}}}}</ref> In 2016, following the [[2015 South Indian floods]], for the first time, the book fair was rescheduled to be held in May. Instead, an alternate low-key Pongal Book Fair was held between 13 and 24 January for book lovers and tourists.

The Chennai Book Fair is the second largest book fair in the country.<ref name="newstoday">{{cite news|title=Chennai Book Fair from 9 Jan 2015|url=http://newstodaynet.com/chennai/chennai-book-fair-9-jan-2015|work=[[The News Today (India)|News Today]]|access-date=23 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229032320/http://newstodaynet.com/chennai/chennai-book-fair-9-jan-2015|archive-date=29 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> All major Tamil and English publishing houses participate in this fair. The 2018 fair had over 708 stalls representing most major publishing companies in India and was held for 13 days, drawing over 1.1 million visitors.<ref name="Hindu_2019BookFair">{{cite news|title= Chennai Book Fair from January 4 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chennai-book-fair-from-january-4/article25862138.ece|work=The Hindu|date=30 December 2018|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

The First Madras Book Fair was organized in Madras between 14 and 24 December 1977, by The Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI), an association of major publishing companies of Tamil Nadu.<ref name="who">{{cite web|title=25th Chennai Book Fair 2002|publisher=[[World Health Organization]]|url=http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section1243/Section1256/Section1541_6093.htm|access-date=12 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702071416/http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section1243/Section1256/Section1541_6093.htm|archive-date=2 July 2007|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="toi_bookfair2009">{{cite news|title=Films, fun and contests for kids at annual book fair|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-01-07/chennai/28056598_1_fair-venue-bapasi-gandhi-kannadasan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023005247/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-01-07/chennai/28056598_1_fair-venue-bapasi-gandhi-kannadasan|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2012|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=7 January 2009}}</ref><ref name="madras_miscellany">{{cite news|title=60 years midst books|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/11/08/stories/2004110800230300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050114204139/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/11/08/stories/2004110800230300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 January 2005|date=8 November 2004|first=S.|last=Muthiah|author-link=S. Muthiah|work=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> The first Madras Book Fair had 22 stalls and was held at the Madrasa-i-Azam school due to the initiative of K. V. Mathew of B. I. Publications.<ref name="madras_miscellany" /> He is also credited with planning and organisation of the next five editions of the fair.<ref name="madras_miscellany" /> Mr. Mathew has also organized an annual book fair for students.<ref name="madras_miscellany" /> The Student Book Fair, however, hasn't been as successful as the Chennai Book Fair.<ref name="madras_miscellany" />

The 24th Chennai Book Fair experienced a spurt in the number of Tamil language publishers. Of the 180 publication houses who participated in the book fair, 80 were Tamil publication houses, a remarkable increase since the 23rd fair in which there was only one stall devoted to Tamil publications.<ref name="24thbookfair">{{cite news|title=80 Tamil publishers participate in Chennai Book Fair|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/01/07/stories/0407401v.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125115213/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/01/07/stories/0407401v.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2013|date=7 January 2001}}</ref> The book fair celebrated its silver jubilee in 2002 coinciding with the 50th anniversary celebrations of BAPASI. The fair was held for 15 days instead of the usual 11-day affair.<ref name="25thbookfair">{{cite news|title=Time to mark your books|date=5 January 2002|work=[[The Hindu]]|first=Ramya|last=Kannan|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/01/05/stories/2002010502050200.htm}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2007, due to traffic congestion and the need for more space for the stalls,<ref name="30thbookfair">{{cite news|title=Chennai Book Fair has new venue|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/04/stories/2007010407110600.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105153957/http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/04/stories/2007010407110600.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 January 2007|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=4 January 2007}}</ref> the venue for the annual book fair was changed from Quaid-e-Milleth Women's College to St. George' School in [[Kilpauk]].<ref name="30th_venue">{{cite news|title=Venue of annual book fair changed|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/12/stories/2006121213310200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104134323/http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/12/stories/2006121213310200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 January 2007|date=12 December 2006|work=[[The Hindu]]|first=J.|last=Malarvizhi}}</ref> In the 32nd edition held in 2009, the number of visitors crossed the one-million mark. In 2013, due to construction work on the [[Chennai Metro]], the venue of the book fair was shifted to the YMCA grounds in [[Nandanam]].

| access-date = 10 Jan 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Keezhadi and Thirukkural 43rd Chennai Book Fair 2020.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Sand sculpture]] of Valluvar at the [[Chennai Book Fair|Chennai Book Fair 2020]]]]

The first four editions of the book fair were held in the Madrasa-i-Azam school. In 1981, the book fair moved to the YMCA grounds in [[Royapettah]], [[Chennai]]. The 1982 edition was organized at the erstwhile [[Semmozhi Poonga|Woodlands Drive-In restaurant]]. The book fair was subsequently moved to the [[Quaid-e-Millath Government College for Women|Quaid-e-Milleth Government Arts College for Women]] in the late 1980s. The Quaid-e-Milleth Government Arts College for Women remained the venue of the book fair till 2007, when the venue was shifted to [[St. George Anglo-Indian High Secondary School]] on the [[Poonamallee High Road]] due to space and parking constraints.

| 2013 || 36 || YMCA Physical Education College Ground, [[Nandanam]]|| 180,000&nbsp;sq&nbsp;ft || 746 || 450 || 900,000 || 11–23 January (13 days) ||{{INR}} 120 million<ref>{{cite news|title=Book fair ends after stupendous sales|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/book-fair-ends-after-stupendous-sales/article4337127.ece|date=24 January 2013|work=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

| 2018 || 41 || St. George's School, Chennai, Kilpauk||  ||708||428||  ||10–22 January (13 days) ||<ref>{{cite news|title=Chennai Book Fair from Jan. 10 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chennai-book-fair-from-jan-10/article22379738.ece |date=6 January 2018|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

|2019 || 42 || YMCA Physical Education College Ground, Nandanam|| ||804 ||400 || ||4-20 January (17 days) ||<ref name="Hindu_2019BookFair"/>

|2021 || 44 || YMCA Physical Education College Ground, Nandanam||153,600&nbsp;sq&nbsp;ft||578 ||376 (including 25 sponsors)|| ||24 February–9 March (14 days) ||<ref>{{cite news

| last =

| first =

| title = Chennai book fair to be held from Feb 24

| language =

| publisher = Express Publications

| url = https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2021/jan/31/chennai-book-fair-to-be-held-from-feb-24-2257411.html

| access-date = 10 February 2021}}</ref>

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180121184303/http://bapasi.com/?lang=en Official Website]