Books worth over Rs 25 cr sold : Curtains down: About 25 lakh visit Kolkata Book Fair this year;

MP, 13 Feb 2023, Kolkata: Nearly 25 lakh bibliophiles visited the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair and the sales crossed Rs 25 crore, the organisers said on Sunday, the last day of the two-week event. 

This is the highest sale the Kolkata Book Fair recorded since its inception in 1976, said Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, president, Publishers & Booksellers Guild. 

“Nearly 25 lakh visited the event and books of more than Rs 25 crore have been sold. 

Last year, the sales were Rs 23 crore but this year, we did sales of Rs 25 crore. This is a record for Kolkata Book Fair,” said Dey. 

The two-week annual event ended on a high note in the presence of Mayor Firhad Hakim, ministers Bratya Basu, Sujit Bose, and Bidhannagar Mayor Krishna Chakraborty. 

“West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told us to organise a book fair in Delhi also and we will do that,” said Hakim at the closing ceremony on Sunday at Boi Mela Prangan. 

On the last day of the fair, the Guild felicitated acclaimed novelist Swapnamoy Chakraborty and author Anil Acharya of Anustup Prakashani, a 57-year-old publication. 

“Translation and a research institute of all languages including Spanish should be established in West Bengal,” said Acharya. 

Tridib Chatterjee, general secretary, Guild congratulated the Spanish delegates for their wholehearted support of the fair. This year, Spain was the focal theme country. “Spanish associates showcased the diversity of their country. Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Association of Publishers Guild have celebrated some of their literary classics,” he said. 

The organisers also said the West Bengal government is looking forward to having a formal convergence with the Spanish Association of Publishers Guild, and have requested details from the Spanish secretary. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/curtains-down-about-25-lakh-visit-kolkata-book-fair-this-year-books-worth-over-rs-25-cr-sold-508529