CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin will inaugurate the 49th Chennai Book Fair at Nandanam YMCA grounds on January 8, 2026.

One of the biggest annual literary events in the state, the fair will remain open to the public till January 21. This year, the fair will feature around 1,000 stalls, the highest so far.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, R S Shanmugam, president of the Booksellers and Publishers’ Association of South India (Bapasi), said that in recent years the fair usually had around 900 stalls. “Based on requests from publishers, we have decided to increase the number of stalls to 1,000 this year,” he added.

Shanmugam said, “Well-known international publishers such as Penguin Random House India, British Council, HarperCollins Publishers India and Simon & Schuster India will be present. Tamil publishing houses from Malaysia and Singapore have also been allotted stalls. In a special move, a stall has been provided to a Queer Publishing House run by transgender persons. Tamil booksellers from Sri Lanka and several European countries are also expected to participate.”

Every evening, Tamil scholars and writers will address readers at the ‘Chinthanai Arangam’ (Thought Forum). During the inaugural function, the CM will present the Muthamizharingar Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Porkizhi Awards for 2026 and honour the best publishers.