33rd Chennai Book Fair

I visited the 33^rd Chennai Book Fair yesterday. The venue at St. George Anglo Indian Hr Sec. School, which has become a regular now is definitely a great choice. But, the parking arrangements and entry exit logic could be more streamlined. Especially on Sundays. I escaped the main rush by going early.

The stall arrangement is both utilitarian and aesthetic. The aisles are wide and the Pavilions and cross cuts in between enable a diffusion of the crowd. It also facilitates returning back to a stall to buy a book after having a second thought.

Another good feature (I don’t know if this is the first time) is the Catalogue of Participants with stall numbers. I suggest that in addition to the single telephone no. Which is included, they can also give the address, or at least the website. (Who doesn’t have a website or blog today?)

As usual I bought only Tamil books. I, especially, liked a book titled “Oviyam” by an Artist Mr. Pugazhendhi. The book explains, in simple and lucid Tamil, the Elements and Principles of Art. The author gives the English term for the technical words used. This enables a better understanding and internalization of the corresponding Tamil word. The colour plates and figures enhance our appreciation of the subject.

The visitors are of many kinds—Bibliomaniacs like me who come because books are their greatest joy; Parents who wish to enhance their children’s knowledge; Activists who see the printed word as one more medium to communicate their concerns and anger; Artists and actors who know that books are the fountainhead of creativity...and so on.

While on this, I could not help but ponder on the fate of books printed on paper or similar surfaces. The popularity of Fairs like these seem to indicate that books have a long life ahead. Especially original works of fiction and literature. Nevertheless, I am unable to understand the utility of heavily bound encyclopaedae, dictionaries and other reference books with the ubiquitous availability of so much information on the Net coupled with a Search Engine technology that can bring related knowledge together fast and to our seat.

For example, using Google you can find out in a minute who wrote a poem if you know or have even a single line or phrase from. Poetry anthologies, books on quotations, Joke books etc., are therefore headed for extinction.

In 2010, we can be sure of only one thing...Technology will keep on changing...there are no comfortable certainties. Book fair 2015 may feature only E Books which can be read comfortably through an eye-friendly, hand-held device. Audio books may become so common place that our brothers and sisters who prefer aural inputs to the printed word would be able to listen to the great classics and not be “left out” of the wonderful experience of having read Dickens or Dumas or Kalki.