Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb. 14: With the motto “Turning Pages, Shaping Destinies”, the second edition of the much-awaited Andaman Nicobar Book Fair commenced today at the sprawling ITF Ground, Sri Vijaya Puram. The ten-day literary event was inaugurated by Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman, Ms. Purva Garg, IAS, the Secretary, Art & Culture, Ms. Jyoti Kumari, IAS, Senior Officers of A&N Administration and Shri Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Chairman, National Book Trust (NBT), New Delhi, along with senior officers, school children, and book lovers.
Organized by the Department of Art & Culture, A&N Administration, in association with the National Book Trust (NBT), the Book Fair aims to foster a love for reading and promote literary culture, especially among students and youth. After the inauguration, the Chief Secretary accompanied by the officials, explored the various stalls and took keen interest in the diverse collection of books on display.
As many as 31 publishers from mainland India have set up their stalls with a wide variety of books of various genre and authors, in different languages. The prominent publishers, among others, include National Book Trust of India, Rashtriya E-Pustkalaya, Sahitya Academy, NCPUL, Sri Aurobindo Society & Local authors, Rama Krishna Mission, Publication Division, DRDO, National Centre for Children’s Literature, NBT and books exclusively on Adivasis etc. This book fair will provide an excellent opportunity for people to browse through a wide variety of books and purchase them directly from the stalls. Apart from the Book Stalls, Anthropological Survey of India, Department of Art & Culture and Directorate of Census Operations of India have put up their stalls.
A special Children’s Corner has also been set up by NBT, where children have been engaged in fun learning activities. As part of the Book Fair, the National Book Trust is organizing various activities for the students of the Islands during morning hours, while in the evening, literary sessions are being conducted.
Today as part of the Literary session, the writer of the book ‘The Quiet Romance of Service: A Veteran’s Journey of Bravery and Belonging’ Colonel S. C. Tyagi and the writer of the book ‘From Nature to Narrative: Seeing, Drawing, and Telling Stories, Shri Suddhasattwa Basu were in conversation with Gaurav Choudhary (Moderator) which provided insight into their works.
This ten-day event promises to be a paradise for book lovers, educators and students, serving as a platform for publishers and authors to engage with the people of the Islands. The Book Fair which aims to foster a love for reading and promote literary culture amongst the people, especially youth & students of these Islands will remain open daily from 11 am to 8 pm till Feb. 22, 2026. The general public and children have been invited to participate, immerse themselves in the joy of reading and explore the world of literature through the works of great authors from across the globe.
Meanwhile, the Children’s Corner organised as part of Book Festival witnessed enthusiastic participation by the students. Over 300 young minds from 10+ schools across the city filled the venue with colour, creativity, and imagination. The day began with a lively Drawing Competition on themes ‘Me and My Favourite Book’, ‘Our Beautiful Andaman’, and ‘When I Grow Up’, where children beautifully expressed their dreams and love for reading. This was followed by a Poster Making Competition by Rashtriya E-Pustakalaya, where participants created inspiring artworks on Digital India and Digital Library. The Children’s Activity Zone remained abuzz throughout the day as little artists joyfully coloured the vibrant Doodle Art Wall, turning it into a canvas of collective creativity. A perfect beginning to a celebration of books, imagination, and young talent.
The activities in the Children’s Corner for 15th February include – ‘Aao Sune Kahani’ with Nidhi Gujral for Classes 1 to 5 from 10.00 am to 10.45 am, ‘Round The Riddle with Team NCCL’ for Classes 6 to 8 from 11.00 am to 11.45 am and ‘Bookmark Making Fun with Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya’ for Classes 9 to 12 from 12.00 pm to 12.30 pm.