First-ever Bengali lit fest & book fair to be held in Dhaka in Oct

KOLKATA: Good news for all bibliophiles on both sides of the border. Come October 27 and the Bangladesh Publishers and Booksellers Association and Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild of Kolkata will organise the first-ever Bengali literature festival and book fair in Dhaka. The eight-day long fest, which will end on November 3, will provide an opportunity for readers in Bangladesh to delve into a wide range of literary treasures from Kolkata. The event will not only celebrate the literary heritage of the Bengali language but also foster a cross-border exchange of stories and people.

Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, president, Publishers & Booksellers Guild, said engaging discussions featuring renowned authors, scholars, and literary enthusiasts from both sides of the border will also be held at the fair.

“Around 15-20 publishers from Kolkata will visit Dhaka for the fest. The festival aims to bridge the geographical divide and create a shared space for the appreciation of literature,” he said.

As of now, 50 publishers will participate in the book fair in Bangladesh from both the countries.

Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, honorary secretary of the Guild, who accompanied Dey to Dhaka, said: “We were trying to make this happen for the longest time. Since pre-Covid times, we wanted a book fair to be jointly held in Bangladesh so that bibliophiles can explore the expansive collection of literary works from both countries. The Bengali literature festival and book fair will be held in Dhaka in October,” he said.

When asked about the demand for Kolkata authors in Dhaka, Chatterjee said: “The demand is strong on both sides. In Kolkata, there is a genuine fascination for the literary creations of Bangladeshi authors. At times, it takes more than a month to procure a book from Bangladesh and vice versa. Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Sunil Gangopadhyay and Samaresh Basu’s books are already a favourite among the Bangladeshis, but we also need to promote our new authors. Same is the same with Bangladesh. Of course, Humayun Ahmed, Selina Hossain will remain forever but Kolkata readers also need to read new generation Bangladeshi authors like Sadat Hossain and others. Language and culture binds both the nations. The book fair will act as a bridge where readers from both countries can come together to share, appreciate, and discover rich Bengali literature,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 47th International Kolkata Book Fair will begin on January 18, 2024 and will continue till January 31. Britain will be the theme country this year.

In 2023, Spain was the focal theme of the book fair. More than 25 lakh book lovers visited the book fair in Kolkata in 2023 and the sales crossed Rs 25 crore, the highest since the inception of Kolkata book fair in 1976.