Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair at the Book Fair Ground in Central Park, Salt Lake in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Considered one of the largest literary congregations in the world, the Kolkata Book Fair is likely to witness millions of visitors from across the country.
Dr Phillip Ackermann, H.E. Ambassador of Germany in India and Dr Marla Stuckenberg, Regional Director, Goethe-Institut, South Asia joined the inaugural ceremony as Germany is the theme country this year.
"Every year this book fair becomes bigger, and getting prominence in the international literary circuit," Chief Minister Banerjee said. "In 2024, more than 27 lakh people visited this fair; this year it will be more than 50 lakhs," she added.
Eminent Bengali writer Abul Bashar was conferred with the Guild Lifetime Literary Award worth Rs 2,00,000 by the chief minister during the inaugural ceremony.
According to the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, this year sees the highest participation from publishers and little magazines with nearly a thousand big, small and medium-sized stalls.
Publishers and booksellers from different countries such as the USA, UK, France, Russia, Nepal, Spain, Peru, Argentina, Guatemala, Costa Rica and other Latin American countries will be participating in the foreign pavilion. There is a presence of all national and multinational publishing houses in the book fair except Bangladesh.
Eminent Bengali writer Abul Bashar was conferred with the Guild Lifetime Literary Award by Chief Minister Banerjee | Salil Bera
Due to the ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh, there will be no publishers and booksellers participating from that country this year.
The book fairground has many gates and roads dedicated to many Bengali and German artists, writers and musicians like Salil Chowdhury, Ritwik Ghatak, Jibananda Das, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Goethe, Max Mueller, Hackeschen Höfe and Brandenburg, Rainer Maria Rilke, Bertolt Brecht, Franz Kafka, Herta Muller, Thomas Mann and others.
For the first time, the book fair has a special mascot, two ducks named Haso and Hasi, ready to greet all the visitors to the book fair. Malayala Manorama and THE WEEK also take part in this book fail which will continue till February 9.
