Hyderabad :
One of the world’s costliest pen at Rs 75 lakh along with books on motivation, religion and fiction drew hundreds of Hyderabadis to the annual book fair in the city, with some even buying the white gold and 650 diamond-encrusted pen as gifts to mark the Christmas.
Organisers said the 27th Hyderabad book fair was bigger compared to last year with 288 stalls and 40 more stalls erected due to high demand. The The 12-day fair came to an end on Christmas day with thousands swarming in to buy books and gifts on the concluding day.
“There were book launches almost everyday, especially local language books and poem collections, and they were a big hit,” said R Hanmanth Rao, president of the Hyderabad Book Fair Society.
Incidentally, the fair also had other attractions beside books. There were educational toys, scientific aids and pens and for the first time in Hyderabad, Emonte Pens Private Limited introduced a Ripple HRH, a fountain pen which was worth Rs 75 lakh, organisers said. The white gold and diamond-encrusted pen has only 39 pieces worldwide and has been a great crowd-puller here. There were a few buyers who bought this precious pen.
“But we cannot disclose the names of the buyers due to our company policy,” said Swapnil Kennedy, regional manager, South India. “It’s not just elite sections alone, but we have special pens for even the common man. The price range starts at Rs 75 and go up to 75 lakhs.”
One ivory fountain pen, worth Rs 2 lakh was also sought after by people at the fair. The modestly priced pens with magnetic caps make them a favourite with many enthusiasts. “The price range of fountain pens starts from Rs 2,000 and buyers mostly want pens in the range of Rs 500 to Rs 1000,” said Kennedy.
“I am coming here for the second time to show the pen to my grandchildren,” said Komala Valli, a retired government employee.
Major publishers like Harper Collins, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University and Pearson were among those present and people were seen ambling across the fair carrying books in hand.
Interestingly, one of the most popular books in the fair being Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams’ (TTD) 15-volume Mahabharata. Priced at Rs 2,315, the book was bought by many history lovers and retired people.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / December 26th, 2012