Over 225 stalls, diverse range for all age groups at 9-day Gomti Book Festival
Addressing media persons on Friday, National Book Trust director Yuvraj Malik said that the venue for the fourth edition of the festival had been changed from Gomti Riverfront to Lucknow University to allow expansion. The festival, organised by National Book Trust (NBT) in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government and the university, will begin on Saturday, and run daily from 11 am to 8 pm until September 28.
A nine-day Gomti Book Festival, offering a wide range of books for all age groups, will begin at Lucknow University (LU) on Saturday. The festival, organised by National Book Trust (NBT) in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government and the university, will run daily from 11 am to 8 pm until September 28, while entry will be free.
Addressing media persons on Friday, National Book Trust director Yuvraj Malik said that the venue for the fourth edition of the festival had been changed from Gomti Riverfront to Lucknow University to allow expansion.
“Until last year, we had a stretch of over one kilometre and it was not possible for us to expand it. Looking at the strategic location of the university and the space available here, we decided to relocate the festival. This year, over 225 stalls will be set up, offering more diversity for all age groups,” said Malik.
Literary sessions, cultural performances and children’s activities would also be organised, reflecting the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises foundational literacy, multilingualism, creativity, critical thinking, Indian knowledge system and digital integration in learning, he said, adding book lovers can enjoy special discounts of up to 10% on National Book Trust titles by registering through the REP app.
“Visitors will be able to experience Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, the national digital library, which offers free access to over 3,000 e-books across genres and Indian languages. This library will soon have audiobooks and podcasts apart from e-books. Some selfie points related to Space and Operation Sindoor will also be set up,” Malik said.
LU vice-chancellor professor Manuka Khanna said that on directions of governor Anandiben Patel, they were working on goals of “Padhe Lucknow, Badhe Lucknow” and “Padhe Vishwavidyalaya, Badhe Vishwavidyalaya”.
“Gomti Book Festival has inspired us to organise more literature and book promotion events in collaboration with the National Book Trust in near future,” she said.
