BookMark conference during Jaipur Literature Festival finds huge interest among publishers

This year, the Jaipur Literature Festival has announced a three-day conference Jaipur BookMark will run in parallel to the main festival. The idea of holding a conference was born out of the huge interest shown by the international publishing Industry. To be held between 18 and 20 January 2014, the three day conference will host six sessions, each looking at different aspects of the publishing industry, from self‐publishing to e‐books, digital content to distribution at Narain Niwas

06 Jan 2014 | By Supreeth Sudhakaran

An extended networking lunch with scope for meeting and personal interaction will be followed by sessions, panels and talks by prominent publishing figures. There will be a cocktail reception in the evenings, which will provide further opportunities to circulate and interact.

It is expected that the Jaipur BookMark will bring together 100 key publishing professionals in its first edition. Norway will be the official country partner for Jaipur BookMark 2014, which will be supported by NORLA, (Norwegian Fiction and Non‐Fiction Abroad). NORLA is a government-funded, non‐ commercial foundation which promotes Norwegian literature to other countries.

Namita Gokhale, author and co‐director of the Jaipur Literature Festival who helped conceive and programme the event says, “The Jaipur BookMark venue is a natural progression of the interest shown in the annual publishing sessions at Jaipur. This is a modest beginning and I am convinced that it will provide a welcome and much-needed haven for informal interactions within the publishing industry.”

Neeta Gupta, Publisher at Yatra Books, who also helped organise the event, adds, "Every year the Jaipur Literature Festival draws not just book lovers,  but also publishers, international agents and other trade professionals from across the world. Jaipur BookMark is our way of recognising Jaipur's place in the global publishing map."

Sanjoy K Roy of Teamwork Arts says, “Teamwork Arts is proud to present the first edition of the Jaipur BookMark. There is huge interest shown in the Jaipur Literature Festival, by the publishing industry in India and abroad. This event will help further the industry at a time when the literary world’s focus is on Jaipur.”

Entrance to the event is priced from Rs 3,500 per day or Rs 9,000 for three days for individuals. Organisations can avail a discounted rate of Rs 3,000 per day per person or Rs 7,500 per person for three days.

Several leading Indian publishing houses have shown keen interest in registering for the event. Saahil Gupta of V&S Publishers said, “The Jaipur Literature Festival has always been an interesting event to be part of but with the introduction of BookMark, publishers from India would be keener to participate. Discussion over the pressing issues and emerging trends is a utmost necessary in nurturing the publishing industry in India.”

The publishing industry in India is counted among the top seven in the world, and ranks third after the US and the UK in the English language sector. India is also a major outsourcing hub for print and pre‐publishing services in the world, be it print, design or editorial. Unlike other territories, India is one of the few major markets that are still experiencing growth in both print and digital publishing. Over three days, the Jaipur BookMark will be assessing the role of industry giants and game‐ changers, hosting roundtable discussions on the challenges the industry faces in a constantly changing market.