New Delhi: In an attempt to bring students closer to the world of books, INDIAreads Online Library cum Bookstore launched Literathon, a nationwide initiative to foster greater interaction between students and the literary world.
The inaugural function took place at Delhi School of Economics of Delhi University. The event was kick-started with the launch of Poor Little Rich Slum a book co-authored by best-selling author Rashmi Bansals and international management consultant Deepak Gandhi. The launch was followed by a special book reading session by Padma awardee and Member of Planning Commission Dr Syeda Hameed and Gunjan Veda where they read from their new book - Beautiful Country: Stories from Another India which is among the top 10 Non-Fiction books as compiled by The Hindu.
The launch event is an endeavour to provide students and faculty with an opportunity to not just get acquainted with books, but to interact with renowned authors and to learn from their experiences and expertise. Literathon comprises of a host of activities including book launches, talks, interactive sessions, book readings, book bazaars, creative writing workshops and online and on-the-spot competitions.
Ms Gunjan Veda, CEO of INDIAreads and co-author of a non-fiction book says, "INDIAreads is proud to launch Literathon, an initiative to promote the habit of reading among students through greater engagement with books and authors. The initiative has been conceptualized to make not just books, but even their writers more accessible. Literathon is a celebration of books and we are hopeful that we spread this celebration in every state and city of India.
Rashmi Bansal, Deepak Gandhi, Dr. Syeda Hameed and Gunjan Veda signed books, gave talks and conducted interactive sessions with the students. The event also saw an exclusive Book Bazaar with latest collection from the world of fiction and non-fiction at huge discounts.