Book Sellers Guild to tie-up with Amazon for selling Bengali best-sellers

Kolkata: The Publishers and Book Sellers Guild that organises the International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF), will soon have a partnership with Amazon for selling its best-sellers over the years through the latter's online platform.

Interestingly, it was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had suggested Guild director Sudhansu Dey to have such a tie-up with the e-commerce giant.

"We have held preliminary talks with Amazon authorities. They have shown interest in making the Bengali best-sellers available online through their platform. We will hold more meetings and we are hopeful of a tie-up during IKBF 2020. There are so many books, particularly Bengali ones that sell like hot cakes during every book fair," said Dey. The online platform already sells Bengali books, but the Guild wants to make more and more books available through the same.

It may be mentioned that during the first day of the Digha Business Conclave last Wednesday, the Chief Minister had urged Dey to work on such a tie-up.

Banerjee's suggestion came when an agreement was being made by the state MSME department with Amazon Internet Services. Dey, who is also one of the owners of the popular Dey's Publishing, was present at the venue.

Dey's Publishing publishes a plethora of Bengali books by eminent authors and releases books penned by Banerjee during IKBF every year.

In this year's fair, six books penned by the Chief Minister were published which included two poetry books, Aami - a book on politics, Bipanna Bharat - an Urdu book of poems and two compilations of quotes and essays by the Chief Minister.

The number of books by Banerjee that have been released during IKBF is 85 till date and all of them have been best-sellers.

Books by Joy Goswami, Nimai Bhattacharjee, Buddhadev Guha and Mani Shankar Mukherjee, popularly known as Sankar, have also been best-sellers. The IKBF 2019 has had sales worth Rs 21 crore.

The 44th edition of IKBF 2020 that will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister on January 29, will have Russia as the focal theme country.

"It will be in sync with the tradition to name one theme country every year, to create awareness about that nation among the people and boost cultural ties," a senior official of the Guild said.