Nagpur: Nagpur’s first-ever Book Festival is set to begin on November 22, with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurating the nine-day event at Reshimbagh Ground. The festival is being organized by the National Book Trust, India (under the Ministry of Education), in collaboration with the Maharashtra Government and the Zero Mile Youth Foundation.
At a press conference, officials announced that the “Nagpur Book Festival 2025” will run from November 22 to 30. The inaugural ceremony on November 22 at 5:30 pm will feature Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, NBT Chairman Prof. Milind Marathe, author Amish Tripathi, NBT Director Yuvraj Malik, and Zero Mile Youth Foundation President Ajay Sancheti will also be present.
More than 300 publishers from across India will participate, offering books in multiple Indian languages with special discounts for readers.
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A four-day “Zero Mile Literature Festival” will also be held on November 23–24 and November 29–30. The festival will be inaugurated on November 23 at 11:30 am by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. School Education Minister Dr. Pankaj Bhoyar, author Vijayrao Deshmukh, NBT chiefs, and Zero Mile Youth Foundation leaders will attend.
The literature festival will host well-known writers and public figures including Akshat Gupta, Nitin Gokhale, Prashant Pol, director Vipul Shah, filmmaker Pravin Tarde, writer Shefali Vaidya, Sahitya Sammelan president Vishwas Patil, author Sunil Ambekar, Kumud Sharma, directors Chandrakant Kulkarni and Digpal Lanjekar, IGP Sandeep Patil, entrepreneur-author Ankur Warikoo, advocate Vishnu Jain, educator Anand Kumar, athlete Damyanti Tambe, author Amreen Zaidi, and educationist Mukul Kanitkar.
From November 25 to 28, a “Writer’s Stage” will host discussions, interactive sessions, and book launches with authors and critics.
A dedicated Children’s Corner will run daily from 11 am to 2 pm, organized by NBT’s National Centre for Children’s Literature. Activities include storytelling, drawing, reading sessions, communication workshops, poster-making, mandala art, calligraphy, voice-over sessions, yoga, Vedic math, and folk dance.
Every evening, from 6 pm to 8 pm, cultural performances will take place, featuring Sufi and Bollywood music by Sadho Band, Marathi ghazals by Bhimrao Panchale, neo-folk fusion by Kabir Café, Sufi and soft rock by Karnish Live, Odissi and Lavani dance, folk performances from Jammu & Kashmir, a vocal concert by Devaki Pandit, and the “Garja Maharashtra” cultural showcase.
The festival will remain open daily from 11 am to 8 pm with free entry for all Nagpur residents. Special discounts will be available on books throughout the event. Organizers urged citizens to make the most of this nine-day celebration of literature, culture, and learning.
The press conference was addressed by NBT Director Yuvraj Malik, with Zero Mile Foundation members Prashant Kukde, Samay Bansod, and Kalyan Deshpande also present.
