30-07-2025
Nagai gears up for 4th book festival with district-wide reading campaign
In the run-up to the 4th Nagapattinam Book Festival, scheduled from August 1 to 11, the district administration has launched a series of initiatives to ignite enthusiasm for books and reading, reaching students, teachers, and the general public alike.
On Wednesday, a district-wide event titled 'Nagai Vaasikkirathu' (Nagai Reads) was organised across all 446 government-run primary, middle, high, and higher secondary schools in the district. Over 51,000 students participated by reading library books during the dedicated reading hour between 11 a.m. and 12 noon. Teachers and government officials also joined in, reinforcing the collective spirit of the initiative.
Before this campaign, a digital contest titled 'Padithathil Pidithathu' (What I Liked From What I Read) was conducted which encouraged students to record and share short videos discussing their favourite books. A district official said the response to the campaign was overwhelming—more than 800 video entries have been received so far. Gift coupons will be awarded to select participants based on the quality and creativity of their entries.
In a creative twist, two autorickshaws with the book fair's logo and compact bookshelves have been circulating across the district, spreading awareness while performing their regular duties.
The upcoming 11-day book festival promises to be a vibrant celebration of literature, culture, and creativity. Highlights include a mini planetarium, vintage car display, public-contributed Nagai Lifestyle photo exhibition, painting and art exhibitions, live performances, traditional paddy seed displays, and workshops on folk music and traditional instruments.
A diverse lineup of literary voices and thinkers will be present, including Bava Chelladurai, Imayam, Manushyaputhiran, Bharathi Krishnakumar, Sugirtharani, R. Kamarasu, Grace Banu, R. Kalaikkovan, Gopinath, and Therukkural Arivu.
The festival will also host popular film personalities such as Aparna Das, Aishwarya Rajesh, Mirnalini Ravi, Devayani, Priya Anand, Mirchi Shiva, and Rio Raj, among others, drawing wider attention to the event.
'Through these efforts, we hope to bring the general public closer to the joy of reading,' said a school teacher from the book fair organising team from the district administration.
