Annual Chennai Book fair at Island Grounds

Spent an hour yesterday at the Annual Chennai Book fair being held at Island Grounds (near Park town). It has been running since June 7th and will be on for 2 more days- Today and tomorrow. So if you haven't visited yet, then rush.

The main reason I visited the exhibition was to buy this book: After the floods- a collection of 21 stories by various bloggers and writers in Chennai. The stories have a touch to the infamous December floods last year where half the city was submerged, drawing world wide attention and massive rescue effort driven primarily by volunteers.

Chennai Bloggers Club admins and others who worked on this book deserve appreciation in initiating this idea and eventually executing the stories into a neat book. Now everyone related to Chennai Floods can have a piece of that experience in paperback. "After the floods" is priced at Rs 150 and there is a 10% spot discount during the Book Fair.

I read a few stories- the last one in the book written by Rajesh K, and Chennai 600013 Home vs House story by Kavipriya Moorthy were the good ones among the few I've finished reading. Definitely a worthy book to pick up as it immortalizes the memories of many o us.

Saw many people- family members of the bloggers whose story is published in the book, buying this book in bulk, probably to give it to relatives.

My own flood experience in this post.

 "Blow Pen" folks were doing brisk business- you can draw designer arts using the stencil they provide and then blowing coloured spay on to them to make creative arts.

NotionPress folks were promising a free assessment for wannable authors.

Cheapest Books were priced Rs 20 or so (if you ignore charts and other small stationery items priced cheaper)

The main entrance. Rs 10 entry ticket applies. A City Union Bank ATM is present inside the fair premises. Free drinking water is provided, water bottles and juice can be purchased for Rs 20.

 Brilliantly stacked books attract people. Many stalls had stacked up their key books nice and catchy.

The Asian Educational Services stall had lots of ancient looking books
A free copy of Swarajya English magazine was being issued to every visitor.
The toy train ride seemed a mandatory must do for families visiting the fair

Overall, the visit was worth it.