Tambaram Hosts Self-Published Book Fair

Kannadi Cupboard launches Chennai’s first self-published book fair in Tambaram, showcasing zines, comics & indie works beyond traditional publishing.

on Sep 19, 2025

Tambaram Hosts Self-Published Book Faird

Each year, the large grounds of the Nandanam YMCA are brought alive by the Chennai Book Fair. The event, which happens once a year, attracts thousands of visitors daily, and is a platform for conventionally published authors to connect with readers of all ages and genres. This weekend, a less crowded alternative to the chaos of the event is going to happen at a gallery venue in Tambaram for the self-published works.

Kannadi Cupboard will host Padithavudan Kizhithuvidavum, its inaugural book fair for self-published books. Prasanna Venkatesh, who organized the space in collaboration with his sister Keerthana Alageshan, states that the fair will be "in the diametrically opposite direction of the conventional book fair, where all is done by the artist or a self-publishing house".

The festival will feature 15 stalls showcasing not only books, but photo books, zines, illustrated comics, and artist books from small non-traditional publishing houses and the makers who have curated the work. Names are Blaft Publications from Chennai, Rainy Day Studio, Chennai, Editions Jojo from Mumbai, Luru magazine from Bengaluru, and Untitled Kitchen, besides Sriram Rajkumar, Malvika M, and Aparna Sibi.

It is not simple for small, self-publishing companies or artists to get a stall allocated in a traditional book fair, notes Prasanna. "While here, all is easy. You have an opportunity to display your work, which you can sell. It is the work that sells," he adds, stating that the price too will be in such a way that it is a win-win for the buyer as well as the creator. “Zines, for instance, will be priced from ₹200 onwards to ₹600, which is easy on the pocket for the person making the zine and the one who is buying it,” he says. “They are able to express themselves, get their work across to people, and strike up a conversation.”

The nature of the works that will be showcased will also not necessarily be structured in a fixed form that conventional publishers would expect. "Some are self-expression, where they go on to write much; some others have fine story lines, whereas some are simply photographs."

The book fair will be books on mats on the floor, like in a sandhai, where one walks by to sit down, take a book, and converse with the artist. Prasanna states that the book fair will be an annual event, one that will showcase the essence of self-expression in a mode that is usable and earthy.