KARACHI, Dec 26: The fact that people are still coming to a book fair is heartening. There are two main reasons for this: the most obvious is that despite the prevalent climate of paranoia and fear, citizens of Karachi are willing to step out of the safety of their homes to browse through countless tomes on display for something that might catch their fancy.
The second reason is that with the promotion of consumerism as high culture, people’s continued interest in books and literary activities comes as a welcome sign that we still might have some civilization left in us after all. Thus, when this writer strolled into the Expo Centre at Hasan Square on Friday, the inaugural day of the five-day Fourth Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF), seeing families streaming into the halls of the Expo Centre was a proverbial breath of fresh air.
Organised by the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association in collaboration with the National Book Foundation, this year’s fair is spread over three halls of the Expo Centre and though there are not that many foreign publishers present, their absence is hardly felt as local publishers and booksellers have done a pretty decent job of collecting books belonging to an array of subjects and putting them under one roof.
Just to give an example of the variety on display, there are modest pamphlets on sale for a few rupees, all the way up to a superbly printed, bound and presented set of foreign encyclopaedias that will only put you back about Rs50,000. Not exactly chump change, but if a bibliophile wants to splurge, this might be the place.
The obvious casualty was Indian publishers and booksellers, for in times of tension, culture and literary pursuits often get the roughest end of the stick. However, though a few empty stalls designated for the Indians stand out like sore thumbs, Indian books have made their way to the fair through their Pakistani representatives. Perhaps the most interesting foreign publisher is a Tehran-based Iranian set-up, which offers some out-of-the-box titles on jurisprudence, mysticism, Islamic history and philosophy.
Activities
An activity area, which debuted at last year’s fair, actually saw some activity, as a book by columnist Agha Masood Hussain was launched on Friday. The launch was well-attended while nearby, children were seen busy colouring away in a separate enclosure. The organisers have planned seminars and book launches, as well as activities for children, for all five days, up till Dec 30.
Meanwhile, the official launch of the KIBF, which took place earlier on Friday morning, was a largely humdrum affair, with various speakers – with all due respect – largely repeating things that have been said plenty of times in the past. Perhaps if the organisers invited one renowned literary figure or scholar – as was the case during the inaugural event in 2005 when distinguished Indian historian Romila Thapar spoke – it would have more of an impact.
Iqbal Saleh Muhammad, convenor of the KIBF, said – just as last year – that advertisements for book fairs and literary activities do not get the same discounts as ads for cinemas and other entertainment activities do in the media, adding that the expo authorities also did not lower their rates for the event.
Javed Akhtar, managing director of the National Book Foundation, said that it was a distinction for Karachi to be holding the nation’s only worthwhile book fair. He urged the organisers to arrange similar fairs in Lahore and Islamabad, for which he pledged the NBF’s support.
Additional IG Sindh Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui said that to counter piracy and bolster literacy, philanthropists should come forward to provide books for those who could not afford them.
Vice-chancellor of the University of Karachi Professor Dr Qasim Raza Siddiqui said that though a culture of professionalism was growing, the “professionals” lacked personality and were quite robotic, with no exposure to culture, science or religion. He said exposure to books could help construct more layered personalities so we could “come out of these clichés.”
Sindh Minister for Commerce and Industries Rauf Siddiqui urged the organisers to hold such fairs every three to six months. He also suggested that book fairs should be organized in all the major cities of Sindh, for which his department would help with transportation and venues.
Apart from book launches and seminars, activities such as story-telling, drama skits, science quizzes and IQ competitions are planned. Timings of the book fair are between 10am and 9pm.
The Fifth Karachi International Book Fair is scheduled to run from Dec 10 to 14, 2009.
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