25 eminent Spanish authors to attend 46th edition of Int'l Kolkata Book Fair

KOLKATA/new delhi: The second press conference related to the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair 2023 was held at the residence of the Ambassador of Spain in India H E José María Ridao Domínguez, on Tuesday in New Delhi in the esteemed presence of Guild president Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey and Guild General Secretary Tridib Kr. Chatterjee. The press conference was held to make certain additional announcements based on Spain's participation in the 46th edition.

This year, 25 eminent Spanish authors will be present during the event which include Eva Baltasar, David Trueba, Agustín Fernández Mayo, Luis García Montero, Jordi Gracia, Jesús Aguado, Anna Caballé and Paula Ortiz, who will also present their film 'La Novia', based on the work 'Bodas de sangre', by Federico García Lorca. The focal theme of this fair is Spain and will be held from January 31 to February 12 at the Central Park Mela Ground, rechristened as Boimela Prangan, Kolkata. The inaugural ceremony of the book fair will be held on January 30 at 4:30 pm. Like the last edition, this year the fair will be completely digitalised and the booklovers from abroad will be able to enjoy the programmes and seminars on YouTube, Facebook and its website kolkatabookfair.net.

In 2022, the fair attracted about 2.2 million book enthusiasts and broke all previous sales records by selling books worth Rs 23 crore. On all fair days, like every year, a lucky draw will be conducted, and 15 winners will receive book gift vouchers worth Rs 1,500 each for 13 days. Additionally, in order to promote the habit of reading books, the Guild will once again sponsor book gift coupons worth Rs 25,000 each for a significant number of bumper lottery winners who will buy books at the book fair. Like other years, the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair will pay homage to the departed stalwarts in literature and other fields in 2022.

There will be separate pavilions for each of the international publishing industry players along with the regular direct participation from countries like the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Bangladesh, Japan, France, Italy, Australia, Cuba and other Latin American countries. Thailand will be participating for the first time in the fair.

The Theme Country- Spain Day will be celebrated on January 31, and Children's Day will be celebrated on February 5. Arrangements have been made to welcome publishers from various states of India and participants have come from Telangana, Kerala, Gujarat, Odisha, Tripura, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Tripura among others.

The official programme of the fair includes dialogues and round tables between Spanish and Indian authors, as well as between publishers from both countries. For the first time, rare punthis and manuscripts of Bengal will be exhibited in a pavilion in collaboration with the Asiatic Society.

The 9th edition of Kolkata Literature Festival 2023, an integral part of the International Kolkata Book Fair, will be held at the auditorium of the fair ground for three days, from February 9 to 11 in

the afternoon.