Kolkata: Come January 30 and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair along with Maria Jose Galvez Salvador, Director-General of Books and Promotion of Reading, Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports and eminent Bengali author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay at Boi Mela Pragnan (earlier Central Park Mela ground) at 2 pm. Spain is the theme country at the event this year.
With over 900 stalls (including 200 Little Magazines) participating in the book fair, Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, the general secretary, said the annual book event of the city will have nine entry and exit gates. One of the gates, said Chatterjee, will be the replica of Toledo Gate in Spain. Among other gates, there will be the Biswa Bangla Gate and Nazrul’s Agnibina Gate.
“Nearly 20 countries across the world will be joining us at the book fair. This is the first time Thailand is participating,” said Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, president, Kolkata Book Fair.
In the age of digitalisation, to encourage bibliophiles, the book fair organisers have come up with the ‘buy books and win a book library’ contest. “A book gift coupon of Rs 25,000 each will be given to book lovers to inculcate the habit of reading,” said Chatterjee.
He further added: “An android app on International Kolkata Book Fair 2023 will help to locate any stall.”
Meanwhile, Metro authorities have agreed to ply trains on two Sundays on the Sealdah-Sector V route to help visitors reach the fair ground in Salt Lake. Starting January 31 from noon to 8 pm, the book fair will end on February 12.
Sister Nivedita University is the exclusive digital partner of the Kolkata Book Fair.