The 11-day book festival in Madurai on concluded on Sunday. The Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, on October 12, had officially opened the book fair, which was organised by the district administration in collaboration with the Book Sellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI). Approximately one lakh people attended, and sales totaled approximately ₹1 crore.
Nonetheless, a lot of authors and publishers voiced their worries about the decline in book sales this year. According to A. Baskaran, a Chennai-based store owner, sales have significantly decreased from the prior year. "People bought books with enthusiasm last year, hen the Madurai book fair was held after a three-year break, but this time the number of people visiting the stalls itself had gone down," he remarked. More consumers are choosing to buy books online rather than in physical stores as e-commerce platforms proliferate. He claimed, "Even shoppers make notes about books they want to purchase at a discount online later."
A dance performance by Narthaki Natraj and a lecture by Tamil author Manushyaputhiran marked the conclusion of the book fair. At the closing ceremony, the district administration presented honours and citations to almost 200 kids who had won different categories.
