a day ago
Kathai Karnival : An ongoing book fair at Prozone Mall brings together literature, creativity and community spirit
The concept is simple — gather your favourite books, and instead of paying per individual book, pay by their weight. Over thousands of books are up for grabs, from classics and hardbound collections to children's books and fiction. While children pick up sound books, board books, the encyclopedia, touch & feel books, and educational books, they can also take part in live storytelling sessions. Called Kathai Karnival, the ongoing book fair at Prozone Mall brings together literature, creativity and community spirit, and aims to introduce children to the joys of reading. Besides sessions on creativity, there will also be a meet-and-greet event with their beloved characters from the story books. 'This is a celebration of reading in its most joyful form,' say S Bringston Nathan, who heads marketing of Prozone Mall and is part of the organising team. 'We want children to fall in love with stories — not just on the page, but through performance, play, and imagination.'
The book fair is also a 'Weigh Lit Fest' where bibliophiles can buy one kilogram of books for ₹549 and three kilograms at ₹1300. The aim is to make the purchase of books economical for all those who love to read. 'We want children to leave their digital gadgets, and physically touch and feel the books. In the last three years, the event has reached out to thousands of school students from across the city. This year, more than 2000 students have enrolled for events at Kathai Karnival.'
Books ranging from non-fiction, fiction, reference books, dictionaries, English, and Tamil languages, picture and children's books are neatly organised and kept on tables.
'The festival is tailored to delight young readers and families alike. A space where stories are not only read but also heard, shared, and experienced,' says Nathan adding that a festive atmosphere, candid reader interactions, and storytelling corners, add to the buzz.
There are small-format fiction books like that of Dan Brown and popular ones of Tom King, Jeffery Archer and Agatha Christie. At the fair, the books are not organised by title or author. There is an element of surprise and this can be exciting for any book buyer.
The book fair is on till July 6 at Main Atrium, Prozone Mall. Entry free.