Delhi Book Fair 2026: Check Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya's dates, theme, focus country, tickets & more

One of India's most-awaited book fairs, the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), is back with its 53rd edition. This book fair is organised by the National Book Trust India, under the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

New Delhi World Book Fair 2026: Date, Time & Venue

The New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, organised by the National Book Trust, will be held from January 10 to 18 at Halls 2-6 of Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

Timings: 11 AM to 8 PM

New Delhi World Book Fair 2026: Tickets

Entry to the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 is free of charge. Bibliophiles can simply walk into the venue and enjoy the world of books, meet-and-greets, and more for free.

New Delhi World Book Fair 2026: Theme

This year, the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 is based on the theme: “Indian Military History – Valour and Wisdom@75”.

With this theme, the book fair seeks to contextualise the narratives of courage, strategization, valour, and philosophical reflection, according to a Caleidoscope report.

The report said that the book fair also aims to bridge the gap between civilian life and military history, offering a detailed and well-researched perspective into the strategic and humanistic dimensions of India’s defence history over the last 75 years.

New Delhi World Book Fair 2026: Country in focus

For the 2026 edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair, Qatar will be the Guest of Honour country. This will infuse the rich traditions of Arabic literature and the Middle Eastern vogue of storytelling into the book fair.

Spain has also been designated as “the focus country” for this book fair, promising a vibrant exhibition of European literary trends and the Spanish language’s global influence.

About Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya

Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya is a digital initiative by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India, for facilitating the availability of quality digital books beyond the academic curricula across geographies, languages, genres and levels, and device-agnostic accessibility.

At the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya is offering 6000+ FREE eBooks.

New Delhi World Book Fair 2026: Beyond books

The New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, with over 1,000 publishers and more than 3,000 stalls catering to every possible niche – from academic journals to indie comics and regional literature – is more than just a book fair.

The book fair will reportedly feature a Children’s Pavilion, a dedicated zone designed to foster a love of reading among young people, including storytelling sessions, workshops, and meet-and-greets with children’s authors.

It will also feature an International Events corner, serving as a hub for cross-border dialogues where international delegates discuss global publishing trends and translation rights.

A high-level forum for CEOs and publishing executives will also feature at the book fair to discuss the impact of AI, digital publishing, and sustainability in the book trade.

Beyond books, the book fair will host daily music, dance, and theatrical performances that reflect the diversity of Indian and guest-country cultures.