Bhubaneswar: The 7th Odisha State Book Festival, organized in collaboration with the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, drew a massive gathering of readers on Sunday evening at the exhibition grounds.
The festival saw a notable visit from Guruji Chandrabahnu Satapathy, who was accompanied by ACS Home Shri Satyabrata Sahu, Secretary Odia Language, Literature & Culture Dr. Bijaya Ketan Upadhyaya, and other senior officers.
Guruji Dr.Satapathy evinced keen interest in the books on display and expressed happiness over the significantly increased demand for children’s literature and graphic novels this year.
Publishers Pritam Publishing and Scholastic India Publishing have set up dedicated stalls for children’s literature, while Simon and Suster Publishing also features a stall for graphic novels, all of which are attracting a large crowd of young readers.
Manorma Biswal Mohapatra, publisher of Pritam Publishing, highlighted the success of Odia children’s literature, stating that Pritam Publishing has released over 80 Odia children’s books, many of which have been translated into Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi. She noted that despite the mobile age, the demand for children’s literature is not decreasing; rather, it is securing a special place in the literary world. The attraction among youth, she believes, indicates a golden future for the genre.
Similarly, graphic novels have become a major draw. The Scholastic India stall features the popular “Geronimo Stilton Series Children’s Literature.” Simon & Schuster’s stall is attracting youth with graphic novels by famous Japanese authors Osama Takeuchi, Junji Ito, and Masashi Kishimoto. Young readers shared their preference for graphic novels, noting that the story, structured around comic characters, is unique and can be read in a short time.
The festival also offers a treat for budget-conscious readers, with various booksellers offering old books by famous authors for Rs 50, Rs 100, and Rs 200. Youth are particularly interested in fantasy, horror, and thriller books by foreign authors like Stephen King, Colin Hoover, Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, John Grissom, and Victoria Eberhard, excited to purchase their preferred books at low prices.
A special center of attraction this year is the variety of selfie points set up by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department. These points feature photographs of the great poet Sarala Das’ cottage, the iron man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, poet Ramakant’s Sriradha, the timeless poem Chilika, the novel Yagya Seni, the books Nar Kinnar, Yantarudhe, Vaidehish Bilas, and the Book Award-winning book The Seven Moons of Mali Almeda.
This year’s Book Festival features 550 stalls and the participation of more than 200 publishers and booksellers. Readers are also enjoying Koraput coffee and delicious food prepared by Millet at the food stalls.