First ever ‘Books in Print - Sri Lanka’ presented to President

The launch of ‘Books in Print - Sri Lanka’ at the eighth Colombo International Book Fair (CIBF) opened yesterday at the BMICH. The first catalogue of locally published books, ‘Books in Print - Sri Lanka’ was presented on Monday, to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

This catalogue published by the Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association (SLBPA), lists out more than 6000 titles of books, which are currently available in Sri Lanka. Fortynine leading book publishers in Sri Lanka have contributed to this book which is a comprehensive guide to publications in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

President of the SLBPA, Ranjith Samaranayake said this collaborative effort of book publishers in Sri Lanka demonstrates the unity among a community of persons gathered together with an aim to uplift the book industry and thereby the literary standards in the country. “It aims to complete a long felt need in the book industry,” he said.

Designed to international standards in content and quality, this initial edition will be followed by a quarterly update. A website containing all information will also be launched, facilitating access to local books on a global scale. A database on CD with a search engine incorporated is also to be launched.
This catalogue will be distributed free to all schools and libraries and will also be available for purchase at a nominal price, Samaranayake said.

CIBF, taking place for the eighth successive year, will have a record of 445 local and international stalls and will provide the setting for the launch of more than 500 new books.