Daily Times

At a time where modern technology has begun to reshape our very lives, where paperbacks and hardcovers have been replaced by smartphone and laptop screens, and text messages have replaced the art of heartfelt letter writing, it is becoming increasingly necessary to hold events that can both promote and preserve the true spirit of literature and the practice of reading among the youth.

When social media has replaced the practice of actually going outside and meeting one another, when news travels around the world in a matter of minutes rather than days, it is more crucial than ever that we hold onto some of the more charming activities that have been passed down to us over the years.

The practice of reading has been around for centuries and over the years Pakistan has produced numerous phenomenal writers such as Amjad Islam Amjad, Saadath Hassan Manto and many more. However, the importance attached to literature and reading has decreased over the years with the advent of technology, and many of today’s youngsters do not know what it is like to sit outside on a warm afternoon with a good Fitzgerald novel or to curl up next to the fire at night and read one of Agatha Christie’s page turners with a cup of piping hot coffee next to them. We prefer to get our dose of entertainment through social media apps and e-magazines now rather than immersing ourselves in a fictional world created by an author. However, several steps are being taken in order to revive the culture of reading and the Lahore International Book Fair is one of them.

The Lahore International Book Fair Trust was inaugurated in 2006 by a group of literature enthusiasts which included Zubair Saeed, Najam Sethi, Saleem Malik and Mohammad Faisal and it aims to promote book publishing, selling and reading in Pakistan. The foundation also hopes to promote good communication and relations between Pakistani writers, booksellers, publishers and the government as well as foreign literary bodies

The Lahore International Book Fair Trust was inaugurated in 2006 by a group of literature enthusiasts which included, Zubair Saeed, Najam Sethi, Saleem Malik and Mohammad Faisal,and it aims to promote book publishing, selling and reading in Pakistan. The foundation also hopes to promote good communication and relations between Pakistani writers, booksellers, publishers, and the government as well as foreign literary bodies. The book fair is usually held in February at the Lahore Expo Centre in Johar Town and is an event that many of the literati of Lahore look forward to. It is a time when we enter the hall with our wallets full of banknotes and happily leave with them considerably lighter, our arms laden with books that we know will find their way to our hearts and stay there forever.

The 34th edition of the book fair was no different. It was held for five days from the 6th to the 10th of February, 2020, from 10:30 in the morning to 10: 30 at night. Despite the dying culture of reading, the hall was packed throughout the duration of the fair, with people of all backgrounds and ages coming in to see the various booths that had been set up and to buy a variety of books. There were over 300 stalls of stores carrying books on varying subjects. From books on general knowledge and history, to books of fiction, there was something for everyone. Some of the stalls included Readings, Allied Book Company, Jhelum Book Corner, Paramount Books, Fiction House and Ferozesons. One very positive element of the fair was that it aimed to promote local stationary brands and local authors. In fact, Amjad Islam Amjad himself was present and signing copies of his new book for enthusiastic readers.

The Lahore International Book Fair is one much-needed step towards promoting and preserving the culture of reading, and is proof that it is not too later to steer people’s interest towards literature as the hall was buzzing with excited chatter about books throughout the five days.

The writer is a freelance and a student of marketing and can be reached at minaalmohsin@hotmail.com