Guwahati: The Assam Book Fair will return to Guwahati with a larger scale, stronger national reach and an expanded programme from December 24.
The Publication Board Assam, in collaboration with the All Assam Book Publishers and Sellers Association, will organise the 14-day fair at the Khanapara Veterinary College playground.
Publication Board secretary Pramod Kalita said the organisers advanced the fair this year to allow time for Republic Day preparations. He said they also extended the duration from 12 days to 14 days due to rising participation and crowd response.
The organisers will set up 135 stalls. Publishers from Delhi, Haryana, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Assam will participate. Several publishers who took smaller stalls last year have upgraded to executive stalls after strong sales.
One of the biggest attractions will be the felicitation of 818 young writers. Each will receive Rs 25,000. Kalita said the move aims to encourage young literary talent and strengthen Assamese literature. Writers below 35 have also received invitations for a young writers’ meet.
The organisers will host a multilingual poets’ meet on January 3. Poets writing in Assamese, Bodo, Karbi, Mising, Nepali and other Indian languages will join.
The fair will also honour cultural icons. The main auditorium will be named after Zubeen Garg. Two other auditoriums will honour journalist Prafulla Govinda Baruah and eminent writer Basanta Kumar Bhattacharya.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will inaugurate the fair. Author Amish Tripathi will attend as special guest. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Asam Sahitya Sabha president and several noted writers will also join various sessions.
The concluding day will host Sahitya Akademi awardee and noted Odia writer Parmita Satpathy, along with Arup Kumar Dutta and Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury.
The organisers will present the Assam Publication Board Sahitya Award to Dipak Kumar Bokakoti for Aishwarjya. The award carries Rs 5 lakh, while publisher Bandhav Prakashan will receive Rs 2 lakh.
Kalita said the organisers continue to follow a book-only model without food or business fairs. He said the focus remains on strengthening reading culture, giving Assamese literature a national platform and building strong engagement between readers, writers and publishers.