Book lovers browse the selection at Lokanat Art Gallery last week. Pic: Lwin Maung Maung

RARE books, including works by a writer famous for his efforts to introduce a new writing style to Myanmar literature, are currently being exhibited by Zaw publishing house at Lokanat Art Gallery on Pansodan Street in downtown Yangon.

On display are about 3000 books, including manuscripts and first-edition books by the late Theippan Maung Wa, who tried to innovate Myanmar’s dense traditional writing style using his own approach during the British colonial period; journals and newspapers published more than 40 years ago; and English-language books on Myanmar that date as far back as the 1800s.

The fair also features more than 10,000 books for sale at undefined discounts, including novels by famous Myanmar writers produced during various periods, nonfiction works on a wide variety of subjects, encyclopaedias and dictionaries.

“I haven’t set a discount rate but I ask customers to pay less than the actual price when they buy books,” said U Khin Maung Sein, the owner of the publishing house.

He said it was the fourth fair organised by Zaw but it had the highest number of books, which he has been collecting for 30 years.

“I plan to hold such book fairs twice a year,” he said.
The book fair will continue through December 15.