Book expo venue shifts to Indira Gandhi stadium

Vijayawada: With the intervention of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, the venue for the forthcoming annual book exhibition organised by Vijayawada Book Festival Society has been shifted to Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium.

The book festival was conducted for a few years on the grounds of the Government polytechnic college here which is not at all comfortable for the visiting lakhs of book lovers across the state.

The 35th book festival would have more attractions this year with more than 200 stalls and also with the participation of English publishing houses which are entering the book expo for the first time.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan would inaugurate the book festival at 5 pm on January 2 and Kendra Sahitya Academy secretary K Srinivasa Rao would also participate.

The inaugural function commences with the release of the biography of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao written by senior journalist A Krishna Rao.

Eenadu editor M Nageswara Rao would preside over the memorial meeting of Cherukuri Ramoji Rao.

The annual Book Lovers Walkathon would be organised from Siddhartha Academy to the venue of the book festival at 5 pm. Special chief secretary of Energy K Vijayanand will flag off the walkathon. Ministers Kandula Durgesh, Satyakumar Yadav, special chief secretary RP Sisodia and others will participate.

The birth centenaries of Narla Chiranjivi, Arudra, Bhanumati, Aluri Bairagi, S Natarajan (Sarada) would be conducted during the festival period.

Secretary of Book Festival Society Manohar Naidu addressing the media said that this year the stage would be open for the book lovers who wish to speak on the book they loved most to read. Anybody could register their names and they would be provided with a slot to speak on the book, he said.