Tridib Kr Chatterjee, President of the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, Dr. Debanjan Chakrabarti, Director East and Northeast India, British Council, Dr. Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and Northeast India, and other eminent guests graced the press conference of the 47^th International Kolkata Book Fair 2024.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal Smt Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the fair at Boi Mela Prangan, Salt Lake.

The International Kolkata Book Fair 2024 had to be brought forward by a few days due to the state and central board exams.

This is the world’s largest book festival. Twenty-six lakh book lovers visited the book fair in 2023, and the book sales amounted to Rs 25 crores.

The focal theme country of the 47th International Kolkata Book Fair is the United Kingdom (UK). The country was the focal country in 1999, 2009, and 2015 as well. The UK Pavilion at the book fair will help youngsters to engage with the UK through various events.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Andrew Fleming said “There will be many UK speakers at the book fair. Through this participation, we will be reinforcing the bonds between the two nations. I am thoroughly excited as this announcement came after I came to Kolkata”.

Countries like America, France, Italy, Spain, Thailand, Australia, Bangladesh, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, etc. will also be participating in the upcoming book fair. Germany will participate after 12 years. Besides, there are publications from other states of India, such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Telangana, Kerala, Odisha, etc.

There will be Little Magazine Pavilion, Children’s Pavilion, and other attractions too.

The three-day Kolkata Literature Festival, KLF, will be held from 26 to 28 January 2024.

The 47^th International Kolkata Book Fair will be inaugurated on 18 January, and the fair will continue till 31 January 2024.

Priyanka Dutta