After a three-year break due to the pandemic, the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) is back in its physical form with the participation of more than 30 countries and nearly 1,000 publishers and exhibitors.

The festival will be inaugurated on February 25 by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain, and National Book Trust Chairman Govind Prasad Sharma, among others.

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The NDWBF is based on the theme of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' and will host France as the guest country, with the participation of 16 French authors, including Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux, and over 60 publishers, literary agents, and cultural representatives.

"Today we are seeing French people are more and more interested in Indian literature. France and India are two big countries of literature. We have dozens of people arriving from France. The delegation of authors is led by Annie Ernaux, who is our latest Nobel prize winner.

With 16 laureates, France is the country which received the largest number of literature Nobel prizes in the world," said Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, cultural counsellor, Embassy of France.

The NDWBF will feature more than 750 titles on freedom fighters and the national movement displayed in major Indian languages and English. Book and photo exhibitions, panel discussions, book releases, cultural events, and workshops will also be held to mark the occasion.

Renowned authors, including Ashwin Sanghi, Vikram Sampath, Preeti Shenoy, and Anand Neelakantan, will participate in dialogues, panel discussions, and book launches at the fair.

The nine-day literary event will also feature more than 50 cultural programs such as open mics, performances by Army and Police bands, talk shows, and folk performances.

At the children's pavilion, a number of activities, such as skits, dramas, street plays, musical presentations, storytelling sessions, workshops, and panel discussions, will be held to inculcate reading habits among children.

The National Book Trust will mark the 50th anniversary of the book fair by releasing a special postal stamp on the occasion. Tickets for the fair are priced at Rs 10 for children and Rs 20 for adults, while entry is free for school children, differently-abled, and senior citizens.

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In addition, the NDWBF will host participants from G20 countries at a separate pavilion. After the festival in Delhi, each of the French authors will visit other Indian cities with the support of the Alliance francaise network present in 15 cities across the country.

(Edited by : Soham Shetty)