The Press Club of India (PCI) is extremely happy to announce a first ever literary festival and a book fair at its premises on Raisina Road between February 28 and March 1, 2025.
Though the two-day event will showcase books that are best-selling in 2024-2025 along with titles that are classics, the primary aim is to offer a platform to all the members who have written books in English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and other Indian languages.
Club president Gautam Lahiri underlines, “Since the idea is to celebrate the intrinsic link between journalism and book-writing, the Club will also offer some space to books written by well-known journalists who may not be Club members but whose books have contributed immensely to the understanding of a certain
issue/topic. “Those set of books would be featured through special invitations to their writers by the Club authorities.”
Lahiri said, “The festival is anchored by a competent group alongside me including Club vice president Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, executive member Surabhi Kanga and Mahtab Alam, who spearheads the Club’s successful programme, PCI Conversations.”
He said top bookstores of Delhi are to participate in the festival. “PCI will also have a stall inorder to facilitate books of those members whose publishers are not Delhi-based or their books only available online.”
“Such writers will have the option of promoting their own books at the stall through individual standees on payment of a nominal sum to the Club manager Jitendra Singh.” said Gautam Lahiri.
He further said that “We are also offering members, the facility of taking pre-orders of their books which are soon to be published. They need to pay a nominal fee to the Club authorities to put up a standee.
All those interested in putting up standees to promote their books and to take pre-orders orders should contact Jitendra within February 20.
Alongside the book fair, there will also be as many as four panel discussions featuring prominent journalists to deliberate on topics concerning writing, media, freedom of press, and social issues said PCI president.
Since no celebration is complete without food, the two-day event will also see food stalls selling regional cuisines to visitors. The variety would spread across north-eastern, Kashmiri, Bengali and Delhi’s Mughlai
fare and chaat.
Lahiri said that the two-day event would start at 11 am and continue till 6.30 p.m. on both the days adding that the event will be open to public along with the Club members and their family members and friends.
