Kolkata Book Fair 2022

Ipsita

Life in the City of Joy largely revolves around two events. They are- Durga Puja, which marks the onset of autumn, and the ‘boi mela’ or book fair, held towards the end of the winter. It is when people pour out of their homes for a date with the printed word. The Kolkata Book Fair will take place in 2022.

What happened to the Kolkata Book Fair 2021?

Kolkata didn’t miss out on Durga Puja in spite of the pandemic. However, the scale of celebrations was nowhere close to what it used to be during pre-COVID days. But it did not have the book fair that should have been held in January 2021.

When is the Kolkata Book Fair 2022?

Now, after a gap of two years, it is set to be inaugurated on January 31, 2022, and will go on till February 13, the venue being the usual Central Park in Salt Lake City.

What did the general secretary say to The Hindu?

We owe it to the small publishers and to the public. The publishers are on the verge of starvation because there has been no book fair in the past two years.” Tridib Kumar Chatterjee is the honorary general secretary of the Publishers’ & Booksellers’ Guild, which organizes the Kolkata Book Fair. This is what he told The Hindu.

Not all books are available online and not everybody is capable of ordering books online. A large chunk of the local population depends on the book fair,” he said.

What is the theme of Kolkata Book Fair 2022?

This will be the 45th edition of the book fair, and each year a foreign country serves as its theme. Bangladesh was to be the theme for the January 2021 fair, considering the country was celebrating 50 years of its liberation. Since the event was canceled, it will remain the theme for the 2022 fair.

The 75th year of Indian Independence, the 125th birth year of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and the birth centenary of Satyajit Ray will also be celebrated at the International Kolkata Book Fair 2022,” Mr. Chatterjee said.

Why is this fair so famous?

The Kolkata Book Fair is considered the largest attended book fair in the world. Here disparate political ideologies, from right-wing organizations to numerous Leftist outfits, get an opportunity to sell their literature.

What happened to the fair in 2020?

In 2020, the fair recorded a footfall of 2.2 million and saw a direct sale, from business to customer, of ₹24 crores. Since 2014, it has also been hosting a three-day Kolkata Literature Festival, which will be held in 2022 as well.

What precautionary measures will be taken at the Kolkata Book Fair 2022?

The organizers plan to enforce COVID-appropriate behavior at the venue: visitors should be double-vaccinated, wear masks and follow social distancing. “The stalls would be kept as airy as possible. The sizes of the stalls might also be reduced. Emphasis will be on proper sanitization,” Mr. Chatterjee said.

However, the organizers kept in mind the fact that the Covid-19 is still a looming threat. So, they have decided to take measures for better crowd management in the fair this year. 

Highlights of the fair

  • The vendors will be fully vaccinated
  • Masks and sanitizers will be available on the fairgrounds
  • The food court is likely to be situated in an open area
  • Little magazine stalls are likely to be dispersed across the fairgrounds instead of one pavilion
  • Instead of enclosed spaces, other pavilions too may be set up in the open

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