The powerful magic of books
View(s):- The Colombo International Book Fair ends today
By Sajani Ratnayake
When you open a book, you enter a new world. You are on a journey into a different land, living in a world of imagination. The Colombo International Book Fair which transports readers on this journey and is every avid reader’s reason to smile, ends today at the BMICH.
The 25th edition of the Book Fair opened on September 27 and its enduring popularity over the years is evident from the large crowds of people who have been filling the halls and leaving the roads leading to the BMICH blocked for the past week.
An enriching experience at the Book Fair: From children, to youth to the not so young. Pix by Priyanka Samaraweera
The Book Fair is the highlight of September for many Sri Lankans. Young children save all the money they can, (aided generously by their grandparents and parents), young adults put aside what they can for book shopping and parents complete their lists for the next school year with books at a discounted price.
The smell of popcorn fills the air as you walk through the stalls searching for your next stop, as there are various food choices available as well to sample.
Nivedhitha Chandrasekaran
Every corner you turn, the BMICH halls are filled with various stalls brimming with books. Families walk in hand in hand, their only question being which hall to start from. From new books to bargain stores, from the magic of second hand bookstores to the long line outside M.D. Gunasena, the interest of each person varies, but there is a place for everyone within the fair.
The atmosphere is vibrant, alive with the chatter of voices, music and conversations. Says 20-year-old Thisuni Rajakaruna, “It is nice to go into the Book Fair with no expectations of books to buy, and finding enough that piques your interest. This experience is exciting for me.”
Maneka Hettiarachchi
In an age when the younger generation gives more attention to a digital world, it was truly heartwarming to see the number of children who were excitedly picking up colouring books and story books, holding on to their parents’ hands as they navigated the aisles.
Maneka Hettiarachchi, whose daughter loves Percy Jackson, was immensely pleased at the variety of books available for her collection. “There are lots more people than there were last time and the prices are also a little reduced,” she said.
As young Otara Wickramaratne, an avid reader and collector herself, notes, it is truly nice to see children understand the “timeless nature” of books. She also mentions how she is glad that books are made more affordable at the book fair.
It is Nivedhitha Chandrasekaran’s first time at the book fair, and she tells us she didn’t expect to see so many books she had hoped to buy, available. The crowds of young people, just like her, are a nice change from the limited people she knows who are readers.
Nuwan Jayan
A few additions to make the Book Fair more accessible would be to place more seating areas in the larger stalls, because carrying many bags by hand and walking from stall to stall, especially in a packed crowd, can be difficult, especially for the more elderly. A map on the back of the entrance ticket would also be of assistance as there are stalls ranging from A all the way to K, and with around 400 bookstores, it is easy to lose your way.
Thisuni Rajakaruna
From a seller’s perspective, Nuwan Jayan, one of the most popular faces of Vijitha Yapa Bookshop, had some thoughts to share about this year’s Book Fair. “Sales are a little slow in many bookstores, because people aren’t too keen to spend during this time,” Nuwan says. There has been a great increase in books relating to politics, with books focusing on Sri Lanka’s civil war and the Easter Sunday attacks being sold out in a matter of days.
He adds too that there should be more sitting areas for those who like to look around, so they don’t hold up the genuine buyers.
Whether you are a lifelong reader, an aspiring writer or someone who is simply curious about the Book Fair and what it offers, take the chance to check it out for it’s an enjoyable experience.
“A room without books is like a body without a soul”, it is said and no doubt, the many happy people leaving the BMICH with bags hanging on their arms, keen to add their new books to their shelves, would agree.
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