It is often said that literature is the mirror of society. Though I belong to the medical profession, my connection with literature has remained unbroken. Whenever I hear about a good book, I grow restless until I have read it. That same restlessness had been with me for several days, ever since I saw news of the Chinar Book Festival on social media. Taking advantage of a Sunday holiday, I set out with my children, Imadudin Khan and Basirat Jahan, to see it for myself.
The moment we entered the venue, my heart lifted. Hundreds of students wandered between bookstalls, their faces lit with curiosity and joy. I too bought several books from different stalls. The publishers looked pleased, some sharing that sales this year had far surpassed the previous one.
I had the chance to meet Dr. Shams Iqbal, Director of the National Council, who seemed equally satisfied with the festival’s success.
Held from 2 to 10 August at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, the Chinar Book Festival was organised by NCPUL New Delhi, National Book Trust and Kashmir University Department of Urdu unfolded in a setting as beautiful as the books it celebrated—beside the calm waters of Dal Lake, with the Zabarwan hills rising in the distance. It became a meeting place for books, ideas, and people from all walks of life.
The programme was as rich as the book displays. There were book launches, author talks, and poetry recitations that drew quiet reflection. Writing workshops gave new voices confidence, while panel discussions ranged from cultural memory to the ethics of artificial intelligence. Storytelling sessions held children in rapt attention, and art exhibitions and cultural performances added colour and music to the days. Stalls brimmed with books in Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi, Pahari, Gojri, and English, reflecting the diversity of voices that filled the halls.
What stayed with me most were the youngest visitors—children clutching their new storybooks like treasures, their eyes alight with curiosity. In a world dominated by glowing screens, it was heartening to see them drawn into the quiet magic of the printed page.
When the festival ended, it left more than memories. It lived on in shared photographs, in the sight of authors signing books with Dal Lake shimmering behind them, and in the renewed sense that stories connect us—across languages, ages, and lives.
lastly my hearty congratulations to NCPUL New Delhi, the National Book Trust, and the Department of Urdu, University of Kashmir, for making this festival such a memorable and grand success.
Dr Basharat Khan is a writer/ Columnist and author of the book Literary Beats۔ He can be reached at chogalwriter76@gmail.com
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