In the last 4 decades, the second largest festival of West Bengal after Durga Puja is the International Kolkata Book Fair. After the pandemic is being improved so the 45th International Kolkata Book Fair will be inaugurated on 31 January 2022. Keeping in mind the passion of the book lovers, the 45th edition of the Fair will continue till 13 February 2022. The venue will be Central Park Mela Ground, Salt Lake.
Earlier it was already decided that the Focal Theme Country of the 45th International Kolkata Book Fair will be Bangladesh. The International Kolkata Book Fair 2022 will celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee year of independence of Bangladesh.
The 125th Birth year of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Birth Centenary of renowned film director Satyajit Ray and the 75th year of Indian Independence will also be celebrated at the International Kolkata Book Fair 2022.
The International complex will have usual participants from abroad and publishers from the different States of India will be present at the Fair.
The added attraction of the International Kolkata Book Fair, the 8th Kolkata Literature Festival will be organized as usual during the Book Fair.
Some special plans will be taken to maintain appropriate health protection and COVID protocol to organize the Fair in this neo-normal situation. The stalls will be open as far as possible. To maintain social distancing there will be ample open space in the Fairground. As such, stall size might be reduced. Emphasis will be given on proper santization and the Double Vaccination certificate. There is also planning to introduce Free E-passes for entry to the Book Fair, if possible. No mask, no entry in the Fair will be followed strictly.
In the earlier editions of Book Fair book lovers from abroad used to visit. Assuming that this year, all those book lovers from abroad may not be able to come, there will be a virtual presence of the physical Book Fair, so that they can feel the ambience of the Fair staying abroad.
(Inputs by Pratyusha Mukherjee)
