A Global Celebration of Books: Ahmedabad International Book Festival Returns from 13-21 November 2025
Books, Culture and Art to Shine at Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2025
Ahmedabad International Book Fair 2025 to Celebrate Reading, Culture and Creativity from 13-21 November
Ahmedabad | 11 November, 2025: The second edition of the Ahmedabad International Book Festival is set to be held from 13 to 21 November 2025 (11:00 AM-9:00 PM daily, free entry) at Riverfront Event Centre, marking the coming together of the best of culture, literature and artistic heritage.
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Organised by the National Book Trust, India (Ministry of Education) in collaboration with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the festival aims to promote a culture of reading and learning by bringing together book lovers, writers and publishers in a vibrant celebration of culture and literature.
The nine-day festival will be inaugurated on 13 November 2025 by the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah in the presence of Hon’ble Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Prachan, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Chairman, NBT-India, Ahmedabad, Smt. Pratibhaben Rakeshkumar Jain, Hon’ble Mayor of Ahmedabad, Shri Banchhanidhi Pani, Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director, NBT-India, among other distinguished guests.
The festival aligns with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of building a knowledge society and advancing the mission of “Make India Read.” It also reflects the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Over nine days, more than 350+ bookstalls by over 150 publishers will showcase thousands of titles in English, Hindi, Gujarati among other Indian languages. A highlight of the event will be a special exhibition celebrating 150 years of India’s National Song “Vande Mataram”. The exhibition will explore the evolution of Vande Mataram from its origins in Anandamath, the historical novel in Bangla written by Bankimchandra Chatterjee, to its rise as a rallying call for unity and national awakening.
The exhibition will also feature a dedicated stall on Anandmath, highlighting its role in India’s freedom struggle at various times.
The Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2025 will also feature three zones to engage readers of all ages. The Rang Manch will host cultural performances while Zone 1 will include a Children’s Corner and Literary Sessions celebrating creativity, storytelling and literature. Zone 2 will play host to the Gyan Ganga Workshop which will provide creative writing sessions and Zone 3 will feature the Shatabdi Mahotsav along with a Children’s Film Festival, offering an enriching blend of learning and entertainment for kids.
The Children’s Pavilion will feature an engaging line-up of activities, including storytelling sessions, art and craft workshops, theatre and Vedic Maths workshops, folk dance sessions offering children a joyful way to discover the world of learning and books.
The Literary Stage will host a vibrant mix of established and emerging authors, experts and literary critics including notable speakers like Rahul Bhattacharya, Gurcharan Das, Nitin Seth, Steve Hickling, Kulpreet Yadav, Aishwarya Singh, Nicholas Tota, Isabel Pérez Gálvez, Dr Jayendrasinh Jadav, Vaibhav Purandare and Utpal Kumar. Renowned Gujarati authors like Dr Keshubhai Desai, Dr Sanjay Chaudhary, Manvita Baradi, Padmashri Kumarpal Desai, Padmashri Vishnu Pandya, Yashwant Mehta, Dr Haridwar Goswami and Kaajal Oza Vaidya will also interact with literary enthusiasts during several sessions.
The literary sessions will cover a wide spectrum of themes from ‘Gandhi and Mandela: Legacies of Peace, Freedom and Shared Values’ and ‘Savarkar and His Contributions’ to explorations of poetic dialogue in ‘Pablo Neruda and Tagore’ and narratives of heroism in ‘Wings of Valour: Writing the Spirit of India’s Heroes’.
In the evenings, the Rang Manch will come alive with a series of cultural performances celebrating Gujarat’s rich artistic heritage including folk song and folk literature, Gujarati Kavya Sangeet, Gazal Recitation as well as musical readings of popular Gujarati short stories.
The second edition of the Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2025 will be open daily from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with free entry for all visitors and special discounts of up to 10% on NBT titles. Come, explore new worlds, meet your favourite authors, and experience the joy of reading from 13-21 November 2025 at Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2025.
