PVLF 2026

The Unofficial Book Bazaar Thriving Outside the World Book Fair

Outside the World Book Fair, pavement sellers draw crowds with Rs 100–150 copies of trending Bookstagram titles, creating a loud, bargain-driven parallel book market.
on Jan 27, 2026

Outside of the gates of the World Book Fair at Bharat Mandapam, towards the Pragati Maidan Metro station, a somewhat different book market scene was happening. It was a place without official banners, publishers' logos or organised stalls, yet it was just as loud and crowded as the fair.

Books were spread out on the pavement over tarpaulin sheets. Their shiny covers displayed titles that were very familiar and trendy, the kind that usually dominate Bookstagram feeds. From a distance, one couldn't tell that they were not the original ones displayed inside the fairgrounds.

"Just for 150! " the seller shouted, his voice cutting through the crowd noise. Prices were declared before the titles were even checked. Another seller came in, louder and faster, offering the bargains as if they were fresh vegetables to be sold quickly.

"Madam, please come here! We are selling for Rs 150 only. Tell me the book that you want! "

Shoppers sat on the pavement, opened the books, checked the covers, and still bargained. In fact, bargaining seemed less of a choice and more a habit here.
Seasonal Stalls, Steady Demand

We only establish these stores during this season every year, said Rahul Kumar Yadav, 25, one of the sellers who was stacking a heap of bestsellers priced between 100 and 150. He also noticed that despite the already low prices, a good number of buyers kept demanding further discounts.

Yadav said that their makeshift shop is running on a very limited time.

We open the doors at 2 pm. Thats when the crowd starts to grow even on a working day, he explained, giving a customer a copy of The Vegetarian by Han Kang.

The books, he went on, were from another seller. When questioned about their quality or whether they are genuine, Yadav just gave a slight shrug. The discussion, obviously, was not his issue.

Bookstagram Favourites Dominate

Demand was clearly influenced by social media trends. Well, known rom, com authors, often featured in Bookstagram Ana Huang, Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, and Taylor Jenkins Reid were scarcely found in each pavement stall.

On the first look, the books seemed just like their original editions. The cover art, fonts, and design details were almost identical to the real versions. Only when the touch was involved thinner paper, duller print, and flimsier binding the differences became visible.

In one corner, a mother was seen negotiating with the seller over a small stack of books that her daughter had picked out, trying to get the total reduced even further.

A Marketplace Beyond the Fair

While the World Book Fair inside closed its doors to celebrate literature through well, thought, out talks, author signings, and the official publishers, this parallel pavement market ran on speed, volume, and visual familiarity.

In the street market, books were first of all commodities and only secondly reading material their value being determined as much by trendy covers as by the text inside.

However, for a good number of the passersby, what attracted them was just a simple thing: the chance to get into their arms popular titles at great discounts and without having to show an entry ticket.