Picture this.
A small township in Tamil Nadu.
11 days. One book fair.
And 2,00,000 people showing up for the love of reading.
In an age where attention spans are measured in seconds and reels rule the day…
Neyveli just did something quietly extraordinary.
The 25th edition of the Neyveli Book Fair, hosted by NLC India Limited, wrapped up on Sunday.
It opened on June 19. It closed on June 29.
And somewhere in between, it became a movement.
A fair that started back in 1998 — now a silver jubilee institution.
Still standing. Still pulling crowds. Still relevant.
In 2026. Imagine that.
Forget the 2 lakh figure for a second.
Look at this one:
👉 65,000 students. From 510 schools.
That's not a footnote. That's the headline.
Kids walking through aisles of books. Picking them up. Flipping pages. Asking questions.
In a world that's handing them screens, Neyveli handed them stories.
At the valedictory function, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chairman and MD of NLCIL, didn't just rattle off stats.
He made a pitch to the kids in the room.
Use these platforms. Build a lifelong love for books. For knowledge.
Simple words. Big intent.
The fair didn't just count footfalls. It celebrated the ecosystem:
Directors Samir Swarup and Rajesh Pratap Singh Sisodia stood alongside.
A full house. A full circle.
We keep being told print is dying.
That kids don't read anymore.
That book fairs belong to a slower, older world.
Then a township of barely a few lakh people pulls 2,00,000 visitors to one ground over 11 days.
And suddenly the narrative breaks.
Because maybe books aren't dying.
Maybe they're just waiting for someone to throw open the doors.
Neyveli just proved it — 25 years running, and the appetite is still there.
Loud. Hungry. And turning the page.
That's all for now!
