Chennai, Oct 10:
The 50th edition of the Chennai Book Fair will be held from January 7 to 19, 2027, at the YMCA Ground in Nandanam, Chennai. Organised by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI), the Golden Jubilee edition will mark five decades of promoting books, reading and Tamil literature.
The Golden Jubilee logo and official website, chennaibookfair.com, were unveiled at a ceremony in Chennai. J.C.D. Prabhakar, Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, unveiled the logo and launched the website. A. Loyola Mani, Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation, and Kavitha, Chennai District Library Officer, also addressed the gathering. BAPASI President R.S. Shanmugam delivered the welcome address, while BAPASI Secretary S. Vairavan proposed the vote of thanks. A video highlighting the book fair’s 50-year journey was also screened.
BAPASI has proposed several special initiatives for the Golden Jubilee edition, including inviting Nobel Prize-winning authors in literature as special guests. Representatives of Tamil associations from different countries are also expected to be invited to strengthen links with the global Tamil community and showcase Tamil language and culture internationally.
The association also plans to recognise multilingual scholars, particularly senior writers and creators aged above 60, for their contributions to Indian languages. However, the participation of Nobel laureates and international representatives has not yet been individually confirmed.
To attract younger audiences, BAPASI plans to appoint school and college students as Chennai Book Fair Ambassadors. They will promote the event through social media and encourage greater student participation. Shanmugam said the book fair had become an important platform for taking Tamil language and literature to a global audience. He added that the Golden Jubilee edition would feature new events for readers, students, teachers, writers, entrepreneurs and publishers.
BAPASI thanked the Tamil Nadu Government for its continued support and invited people from all sections of society to participate in the celebrations. The event is expected to bring together publishers, booksellers, authors, students and literary organisations.
The book fair will be held from January 7 to 19 at the YMCA Ground in Nandanam. Further details, including visiting hours, entry arrangements and the programme schedule, are yet to be announced. Visitors can check the official website, chennaibookfair.com, for updates.