Mamata to inaugurate Kol Book Fair in Jan '22

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is all set to inaugurate the International Kolkata Book Fair in January next year.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has given her consent to inaugurate the 45th International Kolkata Book Fair on January 31, 2022. The book fair will be held at Central Park Mela Ground in Salt Lake and will continue till February 13, 2022," said Tridib Chatterjee, president of Publishers and Book Sellers Guild (PBSG).

He reiterated that the Focal Theme Country of the 45th International Kolkata Book Fair 2022 will be Bangladesh. The event will celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee year of Independence of Bangladesh.

The 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, birth centenary of legendary film maestro Satyajit Ray and the 75th year of Indian Independence will also be celebrated in the International Kolkata Book Fair 2022. The added attraction will be the 8th Kolkata Literature Festival that will be held during the book fair.

The International complex will have usual participants from abroad and publishers from different states of India. Intending publishers, book sellers and editors of Little Magazines may submit their applications for participation at the Guild House within November 30, 2021.

"We have some special plans to maintain appropriate health protection and Covid protocols to organise the book fair in this new-normal situation. Visitors having double

vaccination and masks will be allowed to enter the book fair premises," said Sudhanshu Dey, general secretary of PBSG.

He reiterated that stalls will be set up as far as possible. For book lovers from abroad who may not be able to visit the book fair physically, virtual telecast on social media will be done so that they can experience the ambience of the mega fair.

"We are planning to introduce free e-passes. People can also virtually take part in the book fair by clicking on a designated link," Chatterjee added.

"We also plan to invite Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the inauguration but we are not sure whether she would be able to spare time for it," Chatterjee said.

Tributes will also be paid to actor Soumitra Chatterjee, poet Sankha Ghosh, director Buddhadeb Dasgupta, writer Buddhadeb Guha, politician Subrata Mukherjee and other prominent personalities who have died in the last two years.

"We will soon divulge all modalities and how we plan to go ahead with the measures," Dey said to questions on how physical distancing and scrutiny for double vaccination certificates of lakhs of visitors will be ensured in a full-proof manner.

He said the itinerary of the literary festival will be declared later.

The West Bengal government had earlier this week announced that the 2021 and 2022 editions of the book fair will be held in a combined manner from January 31, 2022.