The 17th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) – held from Dec. 8-12 – attracted a record crowd of more than 500,000 booklovers at the Expo Centre of the mega-city. However, the number of youngsters outstripped the elderly, underlining the fact that the tradition of reading books stays alive despite all the prophecies of doom and gloom about the book trade.
According to organisers, as many as 330 bookstalls on various topics were set up at the fair in which 136 local and 40 foreign publishers participated.
The mega rush of the people at the Book Fair was seen as a good omen by the book publishing and selling industry, which like other businesses suffered because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, new publishing houses are being set up in the country and the old players are trying to expand their businesses.
Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association has been holding the Karachi Book Fair every year since 2005.
