30 August,2011 07:46 AM IST | | Vatsala Shrangi
Discounts draw crowds, numbers still modest compared to last year
With the hullabaloo over the lokpal issue dying down, on its third day the 17th Delhi Book Fair found a few more takers. But the number of footfalls has been rather disappointing compared to previous years. While stalls stocking all kinds of books are offering huge discounts, it is the magazine outlets that are attracting more people.
Au00a0world of words: A girlu00a0at Delhi Book Fair
For instance, we were told at the stall of a weekly news magazine, which has participated in the Delhi Book Fair as well as the World Book Fair for several years, had more people asking for subscriptions this time than last year.
Anna Hazare's books on display (above) at Pragati Maidan, in New
Delhi. Pics/Rajeev Tyagi
Subscribe to that!
"Though the crowd coming in was larger last year, the magazine subscriptions sold this year is almost double compared to the previous year. People are coming here asking for our travel guides and international pull outs," said the stall owner.
Besides, other magazines in vernacular languages have been selling well too and are finding a lot of foreign readers. Oxford, Cambridge, The Delhi Press and Pustak Mahal had a good deal of readers enquiring about old and new authors. Stalls like that of Nanda Book Store, who are giving out offers like pick any book for Rs 100, are being thronged by people for obvious reasons. The offer means discounts as large as of Rs 500 on popular reads.
