Coimbatore Book Festival 2026: What readers can expect

Sriakshaya is excited for the Coimbatore Book Festival 2026. Hours before the doors open for the general public, she is arranging books at Thirunangai Press’ stall where she works. “I have a new book coming out for the book fair,” says Sriakshaya, who is from the transgender community. Titled Kovilpatti to Chennai Vazhithadankal, it talks about her many journeys in search of herself ever since she came out as a transwoman. “It took me six months to write it,” she says. It occupies pride of place at stall no. 68 at the ongoing Coimbatore Book Festival organised by CODISSA, that is in its tenth edition.

According to M Rajesh, the chairman of the Coimbatore Book Festival, the event is only growing in scale every year. “Last year we had over 320 stalls, whereas this year, there are over 400, with 200 participants,” he says. Rajesh says that the fair is part of CODISSIA’s CSR activities and is done without a business motive. “We want to encourage people to read,” he says, adding that they get several hardcore book lovers. “Last year, we had a reader buy books for ₹35,000,” he says. “A lot of them ask for trolleys to take the large stacks of books they buy.”

The book festival is not just a place for readers to discover new authors. “They come to meet their favourite authors who can be seen at their publisher’s stalls,” says Rajesh. Authors Jeyamohan, S Ramakrishnan, Sukumaran, among others are set to visit this year.

While popular publishers are regulars at the event, it also offers space for people who are growing. Words by G2 (no. 230), for instance, is a stall specifically for local authors. Chennai-based Jeetu Sangwani, who is a merchant navy officer, runs the publishing house that has offered services for several first-time authors. “We have published over 250 titles from the time we started out in 2024,” says the 37-year-old, adding that he offers 100% royalty to authors. How does he make a profit then? “I don’t,” he laughs. “I make enough in merchant navy.”

Van Gogh Publication, that is based in Vadavalli in the city, is in its third year of existence. “We bring out poetry, short stories in Tamil, apart from rare titles that have gone out of print,” says P Indhumathy, who runs the publishing house with her husband. Their special for this book fair is a collection of selected poems by Bharati and Bharathidasan. “We picked their most popular works in an effort to take them to more people, especially the younger generation,” she says. Their USP is art prints and the publishing house has displayed them at their stall no. 60.

The Bookzters, an online bookstore that is based in Mettur, is participating at the book festival for the first time and its founders are visibly nervous. “We’ve only interacted with our readers online all these years,” says Sakthi Yazhini, one of the founders. “To meet them in person is a completely new feeling,” she adds. They offer everything from bath books, touch-and-feel and board books, to chapter books and novels.

The city’s very own Omni Books has a fan-base of its own and this year, VG Rajan, the proprietor, is offering several titles on discount. “We have a separate section for titles for ₹99,” he says. Certain stalls have a way of attracting readers with the unique ways in which they display books. Among these is Tamil publishing stalwart Kalachuvadu. Their stall no. 391 boasts smooth wooden racks with separate sections for books by popular authors arranged according to their names.  

“We want to go the extra mile to ensure we value our readers and our authors,” says marketing head K Aiyasaamy, adding that they brought the racks all the way from Nagercoil. Kalachuvadu is bringing out several interesting titles for the book fair, namely a reprint of Perumal Murugan’s Peekathaigal, Sanga Noolgalil Murugan by PL Sami, and Sakthi Vaidhiyam by Thi Janakiraman, among others.

Aiyasaamy says business-wise, the Coimbatore Book Festival is next only to Chennai. “We sell more books in this city than all other parts of Tamil Nadu put together,” he says. Rajesh from CODISSIA adds that readers travel from Tiruppur, Palakkad, Pollachi, and Ooty to attend the event. “These are readers who are here for nothing but the love of books.”

The Coimbatore Book Festival is on till July 26, 10am to 8pm, at CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex. Entry is free.