Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the 47th Kolkata International Book Fair on Thursday at Boimela Prangan in Salt Lake. Mr Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner in India and Ms Allison Barrett country director British Council, India will be present at the inaugural function.
The theme country this year is the United Kingdom, said Mr Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, president, Publishers and Booksellers Guild. Mrs Bani Basu will receive lifetime felicitation by Rama Prasad Goenka Sristi Samman 2024. There are around 1000 big, medium and small stalls at the Book Fair.
Around 20 countries like the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Thailand. In the Bangladesh pavilion, there will be around 50 publishers from our neighbouring country.
Nine gates have been set up, which include London Tower Bridge, Bethune School, Tarashankar 125, Lorca 125 and Father Diettenne, said Mr Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, general secretary of guild. More Metro rails with higher frequency will run on Sundays. The state transport department will run special book fair buses. App cab and auto service will be available for the visitors. Elaborate arrangements have been made to face any crisis.
There will be CCTV, fire tenders will be kept at the fair ground along with motorcycles fitted with fire fighting equipment. Children’s Day will be observed on 21 January when a book titled Pandob Goyendar Prothom Abhijan will be distributed among the children free of cost. Senior Citizen’s Day will be observed on 24 January at 4.30pm when litterateur Abul Basar, publisher Debjyoti Dutta and reader Saswati Adhikari will be felicitated. On 19 January, UK Day will be celebrated at 5.30pm. Tree plantation ceremony will be held too.