Silchar Book Fair Sees Low Turnout, Sales Drop to Rs 30 Lakh

The second Silchar Book Fair, organised by the Assam Publication Board, ended with a lukewarm public response and reduced sales of around Rs 30 lakh—down from Rs 40 lakh in the 2023 edition. Despite the state’s Rs 1,000 book purchase incentive for government employees, only about 1,200 availed it.

Booksellers attributed the weak turnout to poor publicity, fewer prominent guest authors, and the ongoing examination season. The closing ceremony featured encouraging remarks from Assam University’s Vice-Chancellor, the Chief Minister’s Economic Advisor, and writer Amalendu Bhattacharjee.