UNESCO participates in the 20th New Delhi World Book Fair

UNESCO New Delhi participated in the 20th New Delhi World Book Fair, organized by the National Book Trust, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 25 February to 4 March 2012. This biennial event is one of the largest and the most coveted Book Fairs in the region.

UNESCO New Delhi’s participation aimed to give wider publicity to its publications, periodicals and CD-ROMs through display and distribution of sales and promotional materials. It also provided an opportunity to acquaint visitors with UNESCO’s programmes and activities. About 200 titles were displayed, including publications from UPO, IIEP, UIS and UNESCO Offices in New Delhi and Nepal, providing extensive coverage of the Organization’s work in all fields of its competence. Over the course of the Fair, over 700 visitors came to the UNESCO stand to enquire about UNESCO’s publications and programmes.

Spread over an area of 45,000 square meters, the World Book Fair had over 2500 stall and stands in various halls, foyers and hangar. It attracted over 1300 exhibitors, including 30 foreign exhibitors. In addition, international bodies such as the World Bank, WHO and UNESCO were represented.

"Forty years ago, at Windsor Palace World Book Fair around 200 publishers had participated. This is the fair's 20th edition and this one is undoubtedly the mother-of-them all,”said Shri Kapil Sibal, Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development, while formally inaugurating the Book Fair.

Prof. Manoj Das, an award-winning author and the Guest of Honour at the inaugural function said “At the background of a book fair, we see the monuments of human quest for light and delight for thousands of years”. “We hear the words of wisdom from Marco Polo to Einstein, from Christ to Krishna, and from Vivekananda to Sri Aurobindo” he further added. The Fair’s theme was celebrating the one hundred years of Indian Cinema, and an elegantly designed pavilion showcasing books, posters, movie camera, phonogram and a bioscope was the focus of attention for all visitors.

A select list of UNESCO publications on display at the Fair and a list of latest titles 2011 was published by UNESCO New Delhi Office and distributed to visitors. Some of the prominent visitors to the UNESCO stand included senior Bollywood actor Shri. Farooq Sheikh, senior government officials including from Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Defense, librarians and teachers from schools and universities, researchers, representatives from publishing industry, officials from the regional centres of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and various NGOs.

• Source:UNESCO New Delhi
• 07-03-2012