Vijayawada, Dec 23rd : The 11-day 21st 'Vijayawada Book Festival' will be held at Sri Kappagantula Muralikrishna Pranganam in Swaraj Maidan from January 1, Vijayawada Book Festival Society president D Ashok Kumar said here today. Addressing a press conference, he said noted writer and artist Gollapudi Maruti Rao would inaugurate the festival. Mr Kumar said several publishers would release their new publications in the book festival, which would bring eminent speakers and writers together.

Stating that the 11-day long event was arranged to inculcate reading habit among the younger generation, he said about 250 book stalls would be set up at the festival. He said a silent procession, headed by noted industrialist and Padmabhushan awardee K E Vara Prasad Reddy, would be taken out on January 4 from Press Club to the festival grounds in which eminent citizens of the city, doctors, lawyers, teachers, students and people from all walks of life would participate.

To involve students of all age groups in the success of the book festival, competitions would be held to bring-out their hidden talents, Mr Kumar said, adding book oriented competitions would be held and prizes in the form of books would be given to the winners. On the concluding day of the festival on January 11, Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner P S Pradyumna would be the chief guest while Income Tax Commissioner Ajay Kumar would chair the meeting and distribute the prizes, he added.