Authors on their first and fondest Chennai Book Fair memories

For years, the Chennai Book Fair has been a casual space to meet authors. Four writers go over their tryst with the book fair and speak about what it was like to see their titles on display

On most occasions, author and historian AR Venkatachalapathy enjoys interacting with readers who speak their mind about his work. One can find him at the Kalachuvadu book stall at the Chennai Book Fair, being accosted by fans into conversation. He hops book racks, meeting friends — authors, publishers and readers alike. “But sometimes, one runs into people one has been avoiding for a while at an event like this. That is unfortunately an occupational hazard. It clearly cuts both ways,” he says, with a chuckle.

Venkatachalapathy, like several writers from the State, has been a reader at the Chennai Book Fair for several years, before being published as an author with his own work on display here. His relationship with the eventis special and has undergone a sea of change. One thing has remained consistent though.

The Chennai Book Fair (ending on January 12), usually conducted in January before Pongal, as the last of Chennai’s short-lived winter fades, remains a celebration of the written word. It is where authors can be seen lounging, joking, laughing, sipping on cups of tea, and being accessible to readers who often think the world of them.

“There is this big mystery and aura around writers because there aren’t many public spaces to meet them. During my trips to the event as a young scholar back in the mid 2000s, the book fair made me realise that authors were people too who would pull each others’ leg and be casual, just like you and me. It transformed into a public space where I could not just interact but also speak to them, forming long friendships,” says author Stalin Rajangam who often writes about the Dalit identity and Tamil cinema in captivating, incisive essays and books.

Venkatachalapathy recounts that his first trip to the event was back in 1982 (the first fair was in 1977), held at the Horticulture Society grounds (near Woodlands Drive-In). The event, usually full of English books, was quiet and desolate. “It was like a lovers’ lane. People would rarely frequent the grounds. There were hardly any Tamil publishers back then,” he says. Over the years, the fair switched many locations including Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women, Woodlands Drive-in, and St George’s Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School before finally zero-ing on the YMCA grounds. 

“It was only during the turn of the millennia that Tamil books began gaining prominence as more publishers began entering this market. The festival grew exponentially in the 2000s as huge shamianas were erected. The previous editions of the event would be uncovered. We’d have to hike up to Woodlands for a small tea. Now, there are stalls outside and attention from the Government, increasing the scale,” he says.

Writer-journalist Jeyarani, whose latest fiction work Sennilam has been selling like hotcakes at the event, says she first went in 2005. She would exclusively pick up non-fiction books, particularly books on caste, history and philosophy back then.