Nine festival days can still feel short when every aisle offers another reason to stop. A useful Pune Book Festival 2026 plan therefore begins with three simple things: the correct venue, a realistic browsing method and a clear distinction between confirmed information and details that are still awaiting announcement.
The fourth edition of Pune Book Festival will be held from 12 to 20 December 2026 at Fergusson College Ground, Pune. The official public timings are 11 am to 8 pm, and the organiser is National Book Trust, India, under the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
Anecdote Publishing House has confirmed its participation, and the complete Anecdote catalogue will be available. This guide explains what visitors can plan now and which final announcements they should recheck closer to the event.
Pune Book Festival 2026 at a Glance
| Visitor information | Current status |
| Dates | 12 to 20 December 2026 |
| Public timings | 11 am to 8 pm |
| Official venue | Fergusson College Ground, Pune, Maharashtra |
| Venue address reference | F.C. Road, Shivajinagar, Pune 411004 |
| Current edition | Fourth edition |
| Organiser | National Book Trust, India, Ministry of Education, Government of India |
| Public entry policy | Not stated in the current official 2026 brochure; verify before visiting |
| Day-wise programme | Not yet published in the official material reviewed |
| Anecdote participation | Confirmed |
| Anecdote catalogue | Complete catalogue confirmed for the festival |
| Anecdote stall and hall | Not yet confirmed |
| Planned Anecdote activities | Author meetings, book signings and reading sessions; final participants, dates, timings and venues await confirmation |
The organiser’s brochure is the strongest current source for the dates, venue, timings and edition. Visitors should treat older articles, previous-year graphics and similarly named Pune events as separate unless the information is repeated in the 2026 material.
Confirmed Dates, Timings and Official Venue
Pune Book Festival 2026 runs for nine days, beginning on Saturday, 12 December and ending on Sunday, 20 December. Public hours are listed as 11 am to 8 pm throughout the festival period.
The exact official wording for the venue is Fergusson College Ground, Pune, Maharashtra. Fergusson is spelt with a double “s”; third-party pages using “Fergussion” should not be copied into travel plans or published material.
The official Fergusson College website gives the college address as F.C. Road, Pune 411004. The Pune district administration listing further identifies the location as Fergusson College Road, Shivajinagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411004.
Is entry free?
The current official NBT brochure confirms dates, timings and venue but does not state the public ticket price or entry procedure. Previous editions or other Pune book events may have offered free entry, but that information should not automatically be transferred to the 2026 festival.
Until an official public notice is issued, visitors should treat entry information as unconfirmed. Check the organiser’s latest announcement shortly before travelling, particularly if attending with a school or large group.
Do Not Confuse It with Other Pune Book Events
Search results for “Pune Book Fair” and “Pune Book Festival” can lead to different events. The festival covered in this guide is the fourth National Book Trust edition at Fergusson College Ground from 12 to 20 December 2026.
A separately organised Pune Book Fair and Marathi literature event was announced for 7 to 11 October 2026 at New India School, Tilak Road. Pune also hosted a Children’s Book Fair from 30 April to 4 May 2026 at Ganesh Kala Krida Rangmanch. Neither event should be used as a source for the December festival’s venue, programme or entry conditions.
Older Pune Book Festival pages can create another form of confusion. The 2025 edition ran from 13 to 21 December, so those dates, participant lists, stall information and programmes are no longer current for 2026.
How to Reach Fergusson College Ground
Fergusson College is on F.C. Road in Shivajinagar, a central part of Pune. Visitors should plan for the college ground specifically and follow the event’s final gate instructions once the organiser releases them.
By Pune Metro
Deccan Gymkhana Metro Station is a practical public-transport reference for the venue. The official Pune Metro station page lists Fergusson College and F.C. Road among landmarks near the station.
After reaching Deccan Gymkhana, visitors can continue on foot or use a short local connection according to mobility needs and the final festival entrance. Check the current Pune Metro route map before travelling because the best interchange depends on the starting point.
From Pune Junction
Visitors arriving at Pune Junction can compare the current metro, city-bus and cab routes to Shivajinagar or F.C. Road. Allow additional time for the final approach, especially if the organiser announces a particular entrance for public access.
No official festival source reviewed for this guide confirms a shuttle service from the railway station. Visitors should therefore plan their own onward journey rather than assuming event transport will be available.
By bus, auto or cab
Use Fergusson College Ground or the official F.C. Road address as the destination, then confirm the public gate from the latest festival notice. A driver may recognise Fergusson College, but “the college” alone may not identify the entrance serving the book festival.
Bus routes and diversions can change, so consult the current transport service on the day of travel. Groups using hired vehicles should agree on a legal drop-off and collection point instead of assuming they can wait at the gate.
By private vehicle
Public parking arrangements for Pune Book Festival 2026 have not yet been officially confirmed. Do not assume that visitor parking will be available inside Fergusson College or directly beside the ground.
If driving is necessary, identify lawful parking independently and allow walking time. Public transport may be more practical for visitors who do not want the uncertainty of finding parking near F.C. Road.
What Visitors Can Expect
The central purpose of the festival is to bring readers and participating publishers together around books. Visitors can reasonably plan to browse publisher displays and compare reading across categories, but the current official brochure does not yet provide a complete exhibitor list, language list or day-wise public programme.
Do not treat a previous edition’s author line-up, stall count, attendance, workshops or cultural programme as confirmed for 2026. Those details may indicate the festival’s broader character, but they cannot establish what will happen on a particular day this December.
When the official schedule becomes available, read it alongside the venue layout. A session that interests you may affect the time you leave for browsing, billing and finding another publisher’s display.
How to Browse Without Feeling Rushed
A festival becomes easier when the first round is used for orientation rather than immediate buying. Walk through the relevant sections, note the displays you want to revisit and begin purchasing after you understand the range available.
Use a three-part shortlist
Divide your list into books or categories you actively want, possibilities you would like to inspect and space for one unplanned discovery. This keeps the visit purposeful without making it rigid.
Check the edition, language, format, printed price and condition before paying. If purchasing for a library, classroom or group, keep invoices organised and confirm how many copies are actually required.
Compare before committing your budget
The current NBT exhibitor conditions require a minimum 10 per cent discount on all displayed books. They also prohibit the sale of used or second-hand books and require exhibitors to issue a valid bill or invoice.
This fair-wide condition does not confirm any additional Anecdote-specific offer, bundle or complimentary book. Visitors should compare the final price shown at the display and retain the bill after purchase.
Carry a practical browsing kit
A phone with sufficient charge can hold your shortlist, venue updates and digital payment apps. A compact notebook may be useful for recording titles without repeatedly unlocking a phone.
Bring only what you can comfortably carry for several hours. Facilities such as cloakrooms, drinking-water points or food counters should not be assumed until the organiser confirms them for the current edition.
How to Choose the Right Day
The festival includes two weekends and five intervening weekdays. Choose a date according to the programme you want, the people travelling with you and the amount of time available rather than relying on unsupported predictions about crowd levels.
If author or reading activities matter most, wait for the official schedule before fixing the visit. If browsing is the priority, choose a day when you can arrive with enough time to compare displays before the 8 pm closing time.
Visitors planning more than one trip can separate discovery from purchasing. The first visit can be used to build a considered list, while a later visit can focus on final selections and any confirmed sessions.
Planning for Families, Students and Groups
Families should agree on a meeting point before entering the browsing area. Children should know whom to approach if separated, and adults should keep contact information readily available.
Parents and guardians can involve younger readers by giving them a manageable browsing goal rather than rushing through every display. Suitability should be assessed from the book itself; do not rely on an invented universal age recommendation.
Student groups should appoint a coordinator, share arrival and departure times and decide how purchases will be handled. Schools and colleges should verify whether any separate group procedure or activity registration is introduced before visiting.
Reading clubs and community groups may prepare a shared list of interests before the festival. Members can explore different sections and then meet to compare discoveries, reducing the need for the entire group to move together through every display.
Author-Event and Signing Etiquette
The detailed 2026 festival programme has not yet been published in the official material reviewed. No author’s presence should be assumed from an old schedule, social post or previous edition.
When attending a confirmed session, arrive with reasonable time to locate the approved venue. Keep questions concise, follow the moderator’s instructions and avoid interrupting a reading or another visitor’s conversation.
For a signing, confirm whether the activity is open to all visitors, whether a particular edition must be purchased and whether registration is required. Author access and signing time cannot be guaranteed merely because a visitor reaches the venue.
Budget Planning for the Festival
Set a total book budget before entering and keep a smaller amount aside for unexpected discoveries. A simple phone note recording each purchase can prevent several small decisions from exceeding the planned total.
Consider transport, food outside the venue and the cost of carrying books home as part of the day’s budget. Since on-site food, water and storage facilities have not been confirmed, do not build the plan around them.
For group or institutional purchases, decide who can approve changes to the list. Collect valid invoices and check quantities before leaving each display.
Accessibility and Comfort Checks
Current public information does not confirm the festival’s accessible entrance, ground surface, reserved seating, accessible toilets or assistance arrangements. Visitors who need step-free access, mobility support or a quieter waiting area should contact the organiser or venue before travelling.
Deccan Gymkhana Metro Station’s official page lists accessibility features including a tactile path from road to platform. That information applies to the station and should not be treated as confirmation of accessibility across the festival ground.
Ask specific questions when seeking assistance: which entrance is step-free, how far it is from the drop-off point and whether seating is available near the relevant activity venue. Precise questions are more useful than assuming that a general accessibility label covers the complete journey.
Anecdote Publishing House at Pune Book Festival 2026
Anecdote Publishing House, a selective traditional publisher, has confirmed its participation in Pune Book Festival 2026. Visitors will be able to explore the complete Anecdote catalogue at the festival.
The Anecdote stall number, hall number and exact location have not yet been confirmed. Follow Anecdote News and Events for the final location rather than relying on details from another fair.
Anecdote is planning author meetings, book signings and reading sessions. Participating authors, dates, timings, approved activity venues and registration requirements will be announced separately once finalised; the activities should not yet be described as scheduled or guaranteed.
Visitors interested in learning about the writers represented by the publishing house can browse the Anecdote authors page before attending. Aspiring authors should use the separate publishing information page for the formal submission process rather than treating a busy festival conversation as a manuscript submission.
Pune Book Festival Visitor Checklist
| Before leaving | At the festival | Before returning home |
| Recheck dates, timings and entry policy | Confirm the closing time for the day | Check purchased editions and quantities |
| Save the correct Fergusson College Ground location | Note displays before making rushed purchases | Collect and retain valid bills |
| Check Pune Metro or other current transport information | Compare language, format and printed price | Save titles you may want to explore later |
| Look for the latest programme and venue layout | Follow staff instructions at sessions | Recheck transport from the agreed exit point |
| Confirm accessibility arrangements if needed | Keep children or group members within the agreed plan | Avoid leaving belongings behind |
| Check Anecdote’s final stall announcement | Ask the Anecdote team for catalogue guidance | Follow News and Events for future activities |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When is Pune Book Festival 2026?
The festival will run from Saturday, 12 December to Sunday, 20 December 2026. These dates are confirmed in the current National Book Trust brochure.
2. Where will Pune Book Festival 2026 take place?
The official venue is Fergusson College Ground, Pune, Maharashtra. The college is on F.C. Road in Shivajinagar, Pune 411004.
3. What are the public timings?
The official public timings are 11 am to 8 pm. Visitors should arrive early enough to complete browsing and billing before closing.
4. Is entry free?
The current official 2026 brochure does not state the public entry fee or visitor-registration procedure. Do not rely on a previous edition’s policy; verify the latest announcement before travelling.
5. Who organises Pune Book Festival?
The organiser is National Book Trust, India, under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The 2026 event is described as the festival’s fourth edition.
6. Is this the same as every event called Pune Book Fair?
No. Pune hosts other book fairs and children’s book events at different venues and times. This guide concerns the NBT festival at Fergusson College Ground from 12 to 20 December 2026.
7. Which metro station can visitors use?
Deccan Gymkhana Metro Station is a practical option, and the official station page lists Fergusson College among nearby landmarks. Confirm the route and final festival entrance on the day of travel.
8. Is parking available at the venue?
Public parking arrangements for the 2026 festival have not been officially confirmed. Visitors driving to F.C. Road should identify lawful parking independently and allow time for the final walk.
9. Will Anecdote Publishing House participate?
Yes. Anecdote Publishing House has confirmed its participation, and its complete catalogue will be available at the festival.
10. Where should visitors check Anecdote’s final location?
Use Anecdote News and Events for the confirmed stall, hall and location details once published. Avoid using the location from another fair or an undated promotional graphic.
11. Will there be Anecdote author meetings, signings or readings?
Anecdote is planning author meetings, book signings and reading sessions. Participating authors, timings, venues and registration conditions have not yet been finalised, so access should not be assumed.
12. Will books be discounted at Pune Book Festival 2026?
Current NBT exhibitor conditions require a minimum 10 per cent discount on displayed books. No additional Anecdote-specific discount, bundle or giveaway has been confirmed.
Plan the Visit with Current Information
Pune Book Festival 2026 is confirmed for 12 to 20 December at Fergusson College Ground, with public hours from 11 am to 8 pm. Use those facts to plan the journey, then recheck the latest organiser and exhibitor announcements before leaving.
Build a short reading-interest list, choose transport that suits the F.C. Road location and leave time to browse without turning the day into a race. To find Anecdote at the festival, follow News and Events for the final stall announcement and confirmed activity information.