For the first time in its 67-year history, the Press Club of India (PCI) transformed into a vibrant literary hub, celebrating the works of over 100 journalist-turned-authors from within its 4,500-strong journalist membership.

The three-day book fair, which concluded on Sunday, made a profound impact, with PCI panel members now considering making it an annual tradition.

While celebrated works by renowned journalists—such as Joe Sacco’s graphic novels Footnotes in Gaza and Palestine, P. Sainath’s Everybody Loves a Good Drought, Kuldeep Nayar’s Beyond the Lines, and the writings of Manoj Mitta and Vinod Mehta—were widely sought after, the fair placed a special spotlight on lesser-known authors.

One such author was Rehan Abbas, a Delhi-based broadcast journalist who launched his poetry collection, Tapish, on the second day of the fair. “Within club circles, he was primarily known for his work in broadcast media. Nobody knew he had such a talent for poetry,” remarked Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, PCI’s vice-president.

A Platform for Emerging and Regional Voices

Pisharoty shared that it took a month to bring the idea to life, with a primary goal of providing a platform for lesser-known journalist-authors.

“I was amazed to discover just how many journalists have written books in so many different languages,” she said. “Among the more than 100 members who applied, some have authored as many as 30–40 books.”

The initiative was particularly beneficial for Hindi-language journalist-authors, who often struggle to gain visibility in a publishing industry dominated by English-language authors and large publishers.

Independent journalist Bhasha Singh, whose works include Unseen: The Truth About India’s Manual Scavengers and Shaheen Bagh: Loktantra Ki Nai Karavat, was among those featured at the fair. As the 18 book stalls inside the club’s premises slowly emptied, Singh lingered, reflecting on the journey that brought her here.

A Space for Non-Elite Literature

Singh recalled her early publishing days with Gulmohar Publishers, which took a bold step by releasing the Hindi edition of Rana Ayyub’s Gujarat Files when no other publisher was willing to take the risk. “That’s how five or six of us journalists came together, believing we could bring out meaningful books that deserved a platform,” she said.

At its core, the Press Club of India’s debut book fair was founded on a simple yet powerful idea—to create a ‘non-elite space’ for journalist-authors to share their work. If the overwhelming response to this first edition is any indication, this literary initiative may well become a staple event in PCI’s calendar.