LARKANA: Larkana Commissioner Saleem Raza Khuhro and Sindh University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Mohammad Burfat jointly inaugurated a week-long book fair at Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Memo­rial Library here on Monday.

The event, organised by the culture department and Sindhica Academy, attra­cted big crowds on the first day.

The commissioner and VC along with assistant director of the library Shams Kalhoro went round various book stalls where a variety of books have been displayed by various publishers for sale.

They took keen interest in the fair and purchased several books. They praised the growing trend of book reading among people and described it as a healthy and encouraging sign that a good number of students and other youths had visited the fair.

Among the organisations that have set up their stalls at the fair are Sindh culture department, Sindhica Academy, Peacock Publishers, Standard Book Online, Rehbar Academy, Indus Readers Club and Book World.

They are offering up to 50pc discount on their publications.

This time a big collection of Sindhi, Urdu and English books has been put on display at the fair. According to the participating publishers, “we are receiving huge response from visitors, particularly youths, who are buying books on topics ranging from literature, history and current affairs to politics”.

One publisher from Karachi said it was his first visit to the interior of Sindh. He said he was getting an encouraging response here. He said if he had an idea about such a response before reaching here, he would have brought in more collections covering different subjects as well, he added.

He said he had communicated to the main distributor in Karachi to send more books to the fair.

A majority of book lovers and other visitors demanded latest editions of books to be made available at the fair instead of stocking old editions.

Kamran Shaikh of the Sindhica Academy said that a brisk sale and purchase at the fair reflected a healthy trend in the people of Larkana and its surrounding areas.

Books on history, literature [Sindhi, Urdu and English], biographies, fiction, science, English grammar and a host of other titles had not only attracted crowd but many of them were seen asking the participating publishers for the books required for the preparation of different competitive examinations.

Ganj [Shah Jo Risalo] — published in four volumes by culture department in three languages as a single edition — was focus of most visitors.

A salesman giving his impression said that Larkana, in terms of reading habit, seemed to have surpassed other interior districts of the province. “Lately, we wound up book sales in Nawabshah but the volume of interest and sales here appeared to be tremendous,” he said.

The fair organisers said they had made their best efforts in inviting various publishers but so far eight had turned up.

Holding such exhibitions with regularity had developed reading habit in people, he observed.

Visitors coming from different shades of life demanded books on science, English, Sindhi and Urdu literature with parallel call for good collection on history and children’s books.

English-to-Sindhi and Sindhi-to-English dictionaries also attracted many students.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2020