TREAT FOR BOOKWORMS: The book fair will be held from January 30 to February 7 at Pragati Maidan

Nearly 700 books on different sports published by 75 publishers from across the country will be exhibited at the theme pavilion. The theme pavilion will be set up in hall number 7E where several sports personalities are also expected to interact with visitors during the exhibition. Besides, the organiser of the fair, National Book Trust, India, plans to show programmes and documentaries produced by the Film Division on various sports.

The pavilions for children and youth will also be put up in the same hall. NBT India will also hold workshops, quiz programmes and story-telling sessions at these pavilions. There will be a special exhibition of books on Jawaharlal Nehru and also the ones written by him.

The New Delhi World Book Fair is a biennial event. In the last fair held on February 28, 2008, 1,343 publishers from 17 countries had taken part. In comparison, the number of publishers is less this year with Pakistan's National Book Foundation giving the fair a miss. Though NBT India did not give a reason for its absence, its director Nuzhat Hassan said the foundation expressed its inability to participate. The fair will be on from 11am to 8pm every day. HRD minister Kapil Sibal will inaugurate it on Saturday.