1 From the Chairman... From the Director… am happy to say that the New Delhi World Book would like to congratulate all exhibitors, Fair 2015 that concludes today was an event students, teachers and book lovers for their I of great success. It was an honour that the Fair I participation at the New Delhi World Book Fair was inaugurated by Ms. Smriti Zubin Irani, Hon’ble ’15. The Focus Country concept this year, has been Minister for HRD, who spent a considerable amount much appreciated. It helps in strengthening the of time with us. I am also thankful to Mr. Satya N. cultural ties within two countries. The Rights Table Mohanty, Secretary, Dept. of Higher Education, saw a good participation of publishers and served as MHRD, who took time to go around the Fair and appreciated our a perfect platform for buying and selling of rights. efforts. Lot of personalities from different walks of life – like authors, Our efforts in the last few years have not only created an enhanced illustrators, musicians, film makers, etc – found a good platform visibility but have also enabled a larger participation not only from to address the people at the designated Author's Corners. This year the stakeholders of the publishing industry, but also from the authors, we added new activity corner within Foreign Pavilion to facilitate scholars and the general public. the participants and foreign cultural institutes in India to showcase For the first time in the history of the New Delhi World Book Fair their literary contents and introduce their activities. To promote we have been able to bring to focus some of the fine writings from Indian languages books, we have been offering free participation to the Northeast region. The Theme Pavilion which hosted many of the associations of publishers in each Indian language. discussions threw light on various aspects of its literature, people and We are satisfied because lot of young people have started coming culture. Many writers, scholars, sports personalities, folk performers to the book fair, which is a good sign as youngsters bring in more people as well as film makers participated in the many conversations and to the fair. It has become a fashion among youngsters to visit the fair. This interactions held at the Pavilion. time, we have used a lot of social media for promoting the fair, besides using The business events like CEOSpeak and Rights Table were very FM Channel, DMRC branding, DD News scrollers, etc. Even the branding successful creating a healthy impact among the publishers and literary sites were calculatedly chosen to draw more visitors to the show. There agents. Going beyond the books, the Fair hosted hundreds of authors is lesser participation from the librarians from government schools and both established and emerging who enthusiastically participated in colleges as the purchasing power is less in their hands. Universities and interactive sessions with the UGC need to sanction higher visitors. These and other budgets for the libraries. DWBF today, has emerged as one of the premier calendar events in the book discussions and debates lent an Though, it is heartening to see N world. The distinctive feature of NDWBF, and what makes it stand apart from intellectual air to the Fair. other big book fairs across the world, is the enthusiastic participation of people. many public schools making This year we were happy Hundreds and thousands of visitors during the nine days of the Fair not only makes significant purchases at this to host Singapore as Guest it celebratory but is also heartening, book fair. But, our targets Country and Korea as Focus clearly putting at rest the perception of are very high. We still feel the Country. They brought to printed word in decline. Over 500 writers, need to achieve a lot to make Indian readers some of their academicians, trade visitors, Right agents it a truly international fair and the many dignitaries as visitors contemporary writings and or in discussion made the Fair much by roping in more trade and writers. The many literary meaningful. The over 1,000 participants international visitors. programmes and talks that including 30 from abroad, together made I take this opportunity to took place at the Foreign the Fair an equally delightful treat of thank ITPO, the Co-organiser Pavilion, I am sure, will go a books and events. of the Fair, and the Ministry long way in strengthening our There are no real endings… While of HRD, Government of relationship, cooperation and we bid you good bye, we also welcome India for their wholehearted you to the next edition of the New Delhi cultural links. World Book Fair to be held from January 9 to 17, 2016. Same venue. Interested support in making this book I am also grateful to Delhi participants may keep in touch with NBT @ website www.nbtindia.gov.in event a great success. I also Metro for making available thank all the publishers’ tickets to the Fair at their federations, Doordarshan, stations, which greatly facilitated the general visitors an easy acces to Sahitya Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi, Sahitya Kala Parishad, Delhi the Fair. Metro Rail Corporation and other media partners for their support. Once again I thank all stakeholders for making this Fair a great success. Books are our heroes and will never fade away from our memories. A. Sethumadhavan, MA Sikandar, Director, Chairman, NBT India National Book Trust, India 2 Cinematic Voices from the Northeast India he concluding panel discussion of the New Delhi World Book Fair at the Theme Pavilion was on ‘Legends, Conflict and Literature: TCinematic Voices from the Northeast India’. The discussion was moderated by Jahnu Barua, eminent film maker, and the panelists included Utpal Borpujari and Wanphrang Diengdoh. Jahnu Barua who made his debut with ‘Aparoopa’ in 1982 is one of India’s most-respected film makers. A socially-committed filmmaker, he is consistently making films with subjects that focus on various social and humane issues. He has recently been honored with the Padma Bushan by Government of India. Few of his acclaimed films include ‘Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door’, ‘Papori’, ‘Haladhiya Choraye Baodhan Khai’ and ‘Baandhon’. Jahnu Barua opened the discussion with a brief history of “I have been writing for nearly 5 decades now. I wrote my first story from barsati in cinema of the region which was initiated in Assam by Jyoti Prasad Karol Bagh and my short story was based in the context of famine of Bihar,” said Shri Sethumadhavan, Chairman NBT at the release of his book - A Guest For Arund- Aggarwalla in 1931. In the order of cinematic history in Northeast, hati And Other Stories published by Palmsest Publishers. “I started writing without any cinema in Manipur started in 1972. The Northeast is a reservoir of idea of how to write and since I didn’t know the rules of the game, so I made my own many talents especially of art and culture. However, cinema did not rules,” he added. Earlier Dr Harish Khare, former Media Advisor of the Indian Prime Minister and eminent journalist, in his address, said that he found the stories very engrossing. develop the way it today has due to lack of financial constraints. Today, Shri Sethumadhavan is a former banker and very eminent short story writer and novelist the younger generation is coming out with a lot of fresh ideas and and currently chairman NBT. His books have been translated in many languages in India stories. There are so many stories to tell from various perspectives which and abroad. bring out the diverse stories of the region. Manipuri film Ishanou shanou is a movie based on a story written by legendary IManipuri writer M.K. Binodini Devi. Set in the backdrop of the Maibi or priestess cult, it is the story of a sudden transformation of a gentle young wife into a violent woman who slowly finds solace in the vivid and colorful performing arts. It is a classic in Utpal Borpujari, a national award winning film critic and senior Manipuri cinema and the only journalist, whose foray from journalism into movie making came movie from the Northeast of as a natural progression to narrate stories in a bigger way. The India to be screened in the official documentary format makes it more conducive to include things that selection of the Cannes Film may be difficult to portray in fiction. Exoticizing the Northeast also Festival in 1991. The director enhances the underlying conflicts. It is a beautiful locale but the Aribam Syam Sharma is one of stories may not be beautiful as the place. We may find the pristine the most revered filmmakers in locale, peaceful, beautiful people but their socio-economic and India whose films reflect his deep political turmoil may be something totally in contrast with the kind commitment towards Manipuri of beauty around them. art, literature and culture. Wanphrang Diengdoh is an upcoming, independent and a radical filmmaker based in Shillong and Delhi. His films include ‘19/87’ and ‘Where the Clouds End’. His music videos reflect his interest in the politics and culture of his hometown Shillong, Meghalaya. He began by raising the question on what makes the film made in Northeast significant. Or rather what makes a film politically significant? Films are also responsible in a big way for creating stereotypes. The agenda for curatorship of ideas and views also lie in the hands of filmmakers from the region. We have to move on from anthropological subjects. Things must be portrayed in a more realistic way rather than only an appropriate way. Shared areas of commonality necessarily do not have to be peaceful; it also does not have to be violent.