With the arrival of Spring, or Boshonto, in this part of the world always greeted by Cupid firing off one of his special arrows, and it can all be happening one evening in the serene and yet at the same time vibrant setting of the Amor Ekushey Boi Mela. ly-tippedaq with the book fair grounds are buzzing with excitement on World Valentine's Day.
The vivid hues of Falgun and the spirit of love certainly made their presence felt at Boi Mela on Friday.
As usual on weekends, the morning saw a slow start, but as the day progressed, the crowd grew steadily. People of all ages, from children to adults, dressed in bright yellow, others in crimson red, added to the festive atmosphere.
Ritu (25) and Rayan (27) were visiting the fair together. When asked about their experience of coming to the book fair on this special day, Rayan shared, "I come here every time with a unique feeling. It's the same this time too, and I feel great."
Ritu added, "I visit every year, but this time it feels more special as I am here with someone I love."
Displaying an impressive grasp over her original intention, Ritu also mentioned that she plans to buy more books from young writers this year.
A young girl, Ittsha (12), was seen wearing a yellow saree at the book fair. She explained, "I wore this saree because of Falgun, and it feels amazing."
When asked about her favorite books, she hardly missed a beat , "I love science fiction by Zafar Iqbal Sir."
A bookseller named Bokul mentioned, "There has been a bigger crowd today due to Falgun. Several books have sold more compared to the previous days."
Young author Fahmida Faruk shared, "I have six books in total. My latest one, 'Cloud Nine,' is a romantic novel." When asked about sales, she said, "Overall, sales have been slower compared to previous years. However, I hope sales will pick up on February 21st."
Publishers have noted that with the increased footfall today, book sales have risen slight. They are hopeful that the crowd will remain steady towards the end of the day.
Ibrahim, another salesperson at one of the 937 stalls that dot the fairgrounds this year, commented: "It is expected that sales will be higher on a day like this, with the combination of spring and love. However, sales have not yet picked up significantly, and the number of readers is still relatively low."
What Ibrahim is getting at, is that we cannot judge Boi Mela's success or failure in any particular year from the scenes, the numbers, the faces, even the sense of euphoria that one can sense on these special days, and February 14 certainly has grown into a permanent fixture at Boi Mela.