The 43^rd International Kolkata Book Fair 2019 will be inaugurated on 31^st January 2019 at 4 pm at the Central Park Mela Complex, Salt Lake, Karunamayee in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt. Mamata Banerjee, H.E. Ambassador of Guatemala, the Theme Country, Prof Euda Morales, author from Guatemala and other Hon’ble Ministers of West Bengal.

A press conference was organized to announce the different aspects of the book fair.

The following are the highlights of this year’s International Kolkata Book Fair

1. There will be approx. 600 stalls and 200 Little Magazines.
2. There will be nine entry and exit gates in the IKBF 2019 for the easy movement of the visitors. The two main gates will be the replica of Guatemala’s architecture.
3. The three halls of the Fair having mainly the English publications have been named after Nirendranath Chakraborty, Dibyendu Palit and Atin Bandyopadhyay who passed away recently. The Little Magazine Pavilion will be named after Pinaki Thakur.
4. For booklovers, Government of West Bengal will provide additional 190 shuttle buses service between Howrah station, Sealdah station, Ultodanga, Garia, Behala and Shyambazar to the Central Park Mela Ground during the fair days.
5. Wi fi zone for the authors, guests and media friends.
6. A special medical assistance service with ambulance and well equipped doctors, by Peerless Hospitex Hospital And Research Center Limited, Health Partner of IKBF 2019.
7. International Kolkata Book Fair 2019 android and IOS mobile app to locate any stall in the fair, created by CESC will be available from play store soon.
8.    The website and the app of International Kolkata Book Fair will provide all information.
9. 20 Countries across the globe will participate at the International Kolkata Book Fair 2019.
   Authors from Russia, Costa Rica, Spain, Scotland, Australia, Guatemala, Argentina, Bangladesh will be participating in different interactive sessions and seminars with noted Indian authors.

Major events of the International Kolkata Book Fair 2019

1. 1 February will be the Guatemala Day. On that day, Asoke Sarkar Memorial Lecture will be delivered.
2. As informed earlier, starting this year, apart from the Focal Theme Country, we have decided to focus and showcase the literature and culture of one Indian scheduled tribe in the Book Fair. This year the focus will be Lepcha and they will participate with a stall. On 2nd February,   an evening with the Lepcha will also be organised.

There will be a CESC Corner for eminent guests of Book Fair like last year which will be grandly decorated. The daily lottery will be held from there, where CESC will distribute Book Gift Coupon worth Rs 10,000/- per day to the lucky winners.

“Buy books and win a Book Library” – the grand finale of the daily lottery will be organised on the last day of the Fair. Unlike the past few years this year they will have four lucky winners and each one of them will be presented with a Book Library for their home. Each Book Library will consist of a designer book shelf filled with books worth one lakh. The winners will have the privilege of selecting the books they want. This presentation will be one more effort of the Guild towards increasing the reading habits of book lovers.

A special ‘CESC Srishti Samman’ will be awarded this year to Manishankar Mukhopadhyay.

State Bank of India is the official Banker for providing full banking facilities & ATM and e services in the Fair Ground.

The other major attraction of the International Kolkata Book Fair will be the 6th edition of the Kolkata Literature Festival which will be held on the 7th, 8th and 9th February, 2019.

With such great sessions and elaborate events, the 43^rd International Kolkata Book Fair 2019 will be one grand event.