The Press Club of India (PCI) has announced its first-ever literary festival and a book fair at its premises on Raisina Road from 28 February to 1 March 2025. Though the two-day event will showcase best-selling books of 2024-2025 along with classics, the primary aim is to offer a platform to all the members who have written books in English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and other Indian languages.
Club president Gautam Lahiri says, “Since the idea is to celebrate the intrinsic link between journalism and book-writing, the club will also offer some space to books written by well-known journalists who may not be club members but whose books have contributed immensely to the understanding of a certain issue/topic.
“Those set of books would be featured through special invitations to their writers by the Club authorities.”
Lahiri said the festival is being anchored by a that includes him, vice-president Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, executive member Surabhi Kanga and Mahtab Alam, who spearheads the club’s successful program, PCI Conversations.”
He said top bookstores of Delhi will participate in the festival. “PCI will have a stall to facilitate books of those members whose publishers are not Delhi-based or their books only available online.” “Such writers will have the option of promoting their own books at the stall through individual standees on payment of a nominal sum to the club manager Jitendra Singh.”
“We are offering members the facility of taking pre-orders of their books that are soon to be published. They need to pay a nominal fee to the club authorities to put up a standee,” he adds. All those interested in putting up standees to promote their books and to take pre-orders orders should contact Jitendra within February 20.”
Alongside the book fair, there will be four panel discussions featuring prominent journalists to deliberate on topics concerning writing, media, freedom of the press, and social issues. The two-day event will also have food stalls selling regional cuisines to visitors.
The variety would spread across north-eastern, Kashmiri, Bengali and Delhi’s Mughlai fare and chaat. The two-day event would start at 11 am and continue till 6.30 pm on both the days. The event will be open to public along with the club members and their family members and friends.
