The Ahmedabad International Book Festival opened on Saturday, 24 October, at the Sabarmati Riverfront and runs until 1 November. Organised by the National Book Trust with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, this is the third edition since the city’s book fair became an international event in 2024. It is open every day from 11 am to 10 pm.
The scale has grown quickly. Reports put this year’s fair at more than 700 bookstalls and over 125 publishers, and NBT chairman Milind Marathe said the number of publishers and stalls had nearly doubled from last year. The programme is spread across two domes: one holds the main stage, an Authors’ Corner and a Children’s Pavilion, while the other hosts writing workshops and discussion sessions.
Why it matters
Large book fairs are one of the few places where you can browse regional language publishing, children’s books and academic titles side by side. Sessions this year cover Gujarati literature, poetry, ghazals, music, translation and the craft of making books, so the festival works as much for curious browsers as for committed readers.
It is also a family outing. Children’s activities include poetry readings, LEGO, puzzle and STEM workshops, an art and craft festival, and, for the first time, a sculpture workshop that uses discarded materials. An Innovation Wing shows ideas from startups and young entrepreneurs, and the CHHAAP exhibition presents traditional crafts by more than 92 artisans, reinterpreted by NIFT students.
The fair also spotlights Sardar Teja Singh Samundri, the Punjab freedom fighter and reformer, with a Gujarati edition of a book on his life released at the opening.
What you can do
- Go on a weekday afternoon if you want quieter aisles. The final weekend, 31 October and 1 November, is likely to be busiest.
- Make a short list before you go, but leave room for one book in a language or genre you do not usually read.
- Check the daily schedule at the venue for author sessions and children’s workshops, which change through the nine days.
- Senior citizens living in the AUDA area can ask about the free travel pass scheme announced at the opening.