Kolkata Literature Festival

International Kolkata Book fair is the largest attended Book fair in the World.

International Kolkata Book fair is the largest attended Book fair in the World with an average record footfall of 2.5 million year on year. Every year there is a focal theme country, which gets an entire pavilion to showcase their culture, traditions, food, tourism, and literature through books. Eminent authors, poets, and other creative personalities from the country grace the Inauguration ceremony of the International Kolkata Bookfair.

This year the focal theme country is Costa Rica. The book fair is International in the true sense of the term, as many foreign countries participate.

Earlier the bookfair was held in the Maidan grounds and it got shifted to the Milan Mela in the year 2009. This shift brought in a lot of doubts and questions regarding the space, distance, location and permanent stalls which were previously temporary. Finally, after what seemed a never ending struggle, the 33rd International Kolkata Book Fair was inaugurated at the Milan Mela Ground on the January 27, 2009. A total of 15 lakh visitors visited the Fair. Among the noted foreign dignitaries was Dominique Lapiere, the writer ‘The City of Joy’. Overall sale of books was Rs 17 crores, which left the Guild pleasantly surprised.

This reinstated the fact that Kolkata remains the cultural capital of India and to booklovers, International Kolkata Bookfair would always be the next big festival after Durga Pujas.

On that note, we are looking forward to having you with us for the 41st Annual International Kolkata Bookfair, 2017 from 25th January to 5th February.