A visitor at the National Kalinga Book Fair in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 8: Readers of all ages have found the address to happiness at the two book fairs under way in the city.

While the Ekamra book festival has been on at Janata Maidan since Thursday, the National Kalinga Book Fair opened today on Exhibition Ground.

Hosted by groups of writers, apart from young and veteran literary figures, the fairs offer the most sought-after books and more for bibliophiles.

The Ekamra book festival that entered into its third edition this year has 130 kiosks of books in various genres. Children’s books, religious and mythological texts, academic and competitive tomes and fiction as well as non-fiction literature are available at the fair.

“In our last two editions, we had seen that the preference of the genre varies for generations. Youngsters look for English fiction, academic and competitive books, while older readers prefer religious philosophy and non-fiction as well as Odia fiction. Similarly, children go for colourful books,” said festival secretary Bhaskar Jena.

The fair includes a separate space dedicated to Odia magazines since they could not afford kiosks at book fairs usually. Also, artists were given a separate area to exhibit their works. Odia satirists, too, find an exclusive kiosk where the likes of Hasyakabi Kulangar, Gyana Hota and other will interact with readers and also have their books exhibited. Sonaram, an artist, draws instant sketches and portraits of the visitors at another kiosk.

At the Kalinga Book Fair, one finds close to 100 kiosks that offer books dedicated to a wide range of themes and publishers from all over the country. Every evening, a talent-hunt for women is being hosted. Fashion shows are also a part of the fair. There are also poetry recital sessions and discussions on Odia literature.

Both the book exhibitions are on till November 17.