The 12th edition of the Jorhat Book Fair to be organised by the Assam Academic Centre (AAC) promises to be bigger and better with a readers lounge and career tips for students making for a complete package.
The 12th Jorhat Book Fair will be held at the Jorhat District Sports Association (JDSA) grounds here from December 5 to 16 next. The working president of AAC Bichitra Kumar Barthakur addressing a press meet at the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) conference hall on Saturday said that there would be two readers’ lounges – one for seniors and the other for students.
“The readers’ lounge will have copies of books published in 2018 and a reader can pick up any one or as many as he or she wants to and read the books at the lounge. The publishers have agreed to make the books available in the lounge,” he said.
Barthakur further said that at the end of the period, a student would have to write his impressions of the book he has read on a full scape paper and competition would be held to judge which was the best written review,” he further said.
Barthakur further said that a strong organising committee had been formed under the presidentship of the DC Narayan Konwar and that the All Assam Publishers and Booksellers Association would be collaborating with them.
The Secretary of AAC Roman Gogoi addressing the meeting said that they were expecting participation from all over the country and also from abroad. According to a survey conducted by AAC, latest edition of books of basic science, humanities, literature, arts and crafts as well as novels, short stories, children’s literature and other works of fiction and autobiographies will be in great demand.
The stalls too will be in three categories, general, executive and deluxe with varying facilities and dimensions as per demand. Gogoi further said that a few organisations like Guwahati Refinery, Brahmaputra Crackers and Polymers Limited (BCPL), Dibrugarh and Assam Science, Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC), Government of Assam would also deliver presentations – especially for students and youths. Guwahati Refinery would address diploma holders in mechanical, instrumentation and electrical, etc., and apprise them of the various job opportunities and trades in refineries which they can apply for.
Gogoi stated that an executive of Guwahati Refinery had told him that due to lack of awareness these jobs were being taken by people from outside Assam whereas there was sufficient number of eligible candidates in the State itself.
Likewise, BCPL would apprise the youths on what enterprises could be set up with byproducts of the company once it started functioning full scale from 2019. ASTEC too had its awareness programmes on remote sensing, renewable energy, non-conventional energy and the like.
Litterateur Basanta Kumar Goswami who would be editing the souvenir Prajna said that the theme of this year’s souvenir was ‘Axomiya Alosoni’. He further suggested that articles from the earlier 11 editions of Prajna should be selected and compiled into a book form, which would be of help to students as reference material as each edition of Prajna had dealt on a particular topic which was connected with Assamese literature.
Nirmala Sharma, educationist, suggested that discussions should be held and a plan prepared on how to revive the lost glory of schools in Jorhat like Govt Boys’ HS and MP School, Govt Girls and Normal schools.
Eminent critic, writer and journalist Homen Bogohain will inaugurate the fair and renowned writer Anuradha Sharma Pujari will release the souvenir on December 5 next. There will be other competitions like storytelling, drawing, handwriting, etc.
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