LUCKNOW, Sept. 23 -- Stepping into the vibrant lawns of Lucknow University, visitors were enveloped by the enchanting 'scent of literary treasure' at the nine-day Gomti Book Festival. Books related to society, gender, caste, tribals and politics were among the top picks at the over 250 stalls here. The reading material, published along with graphics and illustrations, seemed easier for youngsters to understand. At a stall set up by National Book Trust, one could also find short stories for children in Sanskrit, besides books curated especially around Kumbh, festivals, history of India and Uttar Pradesh. Vishal Kumar, a representative of Mehta Book Company, shared that short stories written by American and Russian authors were also in demand. "Autobiographies and biographies of various prominent people, including Ravindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Kim Jung Youn and Hitler, are also among top picks," he said. Titles related to tribes & religion, art, culture, anthropology, society and economy were available at a stall set up by Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts. At a stall set up by Eklavya Foundation, one could find educational toys and tools that help children develop fine motor skills. "From early counting tools to fine motor toys and India puzzles, we have several wooden toys painted with natural dyes, which are good for kids. We also have books on gender and development like 'Beti Kare Sawaal'," said Avnindra Singh, a representative of the foundation. Classics in both Hindi and English continued to rule the shopping bags of people across age groups - from elderly to youth and teenagers. From books written by Premchand, 'Nirala' and Parsai to ones penned by George Eliot, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka and shayaris of Galib and Faraz Iqbal were also available. Neeraj Verma, a representative of Rajpal Publication, said books around shayaris sold like hot cakes among youth....