LARKANA: The book fair at the Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Memorial Library which opened on Saturday attracted large crowds, mostly youths, even on its third and final day on Monday, causing the library management to consider extending the fair.

Librarian Shams Kalhoro said that seeing the extraordinary response, its duration might be extended.

“We’ve seen tremendous response of book lovers of whom 75 per cent are youths, who have shown a keen interest in buying books on history and fiction,” said Inam Abbasi who manned the stall of Nao Niyapo publication at the fair.

Shajehan Kalhoro who looked after two big stalls of Sindhica publications said that the youth showed great interest in history, literature, fiction and poetry. “We’ve to keep telephoning the head office for sending more books as buyers have exhausted the available stocks here,” he said.

Manager at the stall of the Sindh culture department said the buyers focused on books on Latifyat (literature on Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai), Shah-jo-Risalo compiled by different compilers and Shaikh Ayaz’s poetry, dramas and jail diaries.

“People show interest in buying history books too,” he said. A historical work by renowned research scholar

Dr N.A. Baloch on Shah-jo-Risalo, spread over 10 bulky volumes, was also kept in the fair, but people preferred to buy Shah-jo-Risalso in a single volume, he said.

Saleem Pirzado, manager of the Sindhi Adabi Board, described the public response as unparalleled and highly appreciable. Teachers, students and researchers were more interested in books on different dialects of the Sindhi language, he said.

The Sindhi Language Authority’s stall also attracted readers whereas managers of Kasho publication presented significant work of leading Sindhi short story writer, columnist and playwright Amar Jaleel. Altaf Shaikh’s Sindhi travelogue was almost ubiquitous at all stalls.

The books on autobiographies and biographies published by Peacock publications — particularly by Mehtab Akbar Rashdi and Shams Jafferani who remained deputy commissioner of Larkana during Benazir Bhutto’s days — attracted many readers.

English historians’ works on Sindh’s history and other subjects translated by Atta Muhammed Bhimbhro was also a source of attraction.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2015