Posted by : On Thursday, organizers announced that Bangladesh will be the theme of the 45th International Kolkata Book Fair, which will be held at Central Park Mela Ground in Salt Lake near Kolkata from February 28 to March 13.
The book fair, the biggest in the world in terms of turnout, was earlier scheduled to be held from January 31 to February 13 after a gap of two years but it was postponed by a month due to the huge spike in COVID-19 cases in India last month.
Publishers and Booksellers Guild Secretary Tridib Chatterjee told reporters here that the changed schedule of the book fair has been recognized by the International Publishers Association, Geneva, and has been incorporated into the calendar of Latin American book fairs.
At the press conference, Tridib Chatterjee, general secretary of Publishers and Booksellers Guild, said that in honor of the birth centennial of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh Independence Day, the theme of the Kolkata Book Fair will be Bangladesh.
Apart from Bangladesh, UK, USA, Russia, Italy, Japan, Iran, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and several Latin American Countries will find a place in the international complex, he said.
The fair organizers will celebrate “Children’s Day” on March 6.
On March 11 and 12, the Eighth Kolkata Literature Festival will hold a series of seminars and panel discussions in a hybrid format, where eminent personalities in the arts and literature will address current issues.
People won’t be allowed to enter the premises without masks, he said.
There were initial plans to have 600 book stalls this year. Many other publishers and bookstores have expressed interest since the fair was postponed, and the final number of stalls may be greater than expected, he said.
“We will keep enough space to ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols,” Chatterjee added.