Record-breaking attendance at the International Kolkata Book Fair, with 29 lakh visitors, concluded on January 31. According to the organizers, the fair achieved an all-time high in its history, recording book sales worth Rs 27 crore, surpassing last year’s figure of Rs 25 crore. Sudhangshu Dey, the general secretary of Publishers and Booksellers Guild, mentioned that the footfall increased from 25 lakh in the previous year to 29 lakh this year.
The book fair, held from January 18 to 31, saw significant growth in attendance and sales. The organizers are considering these numbers as preliminary, with the revised estimate expected to be even higher. As an initiative to encourage reading habits, the guild honored a reader, Debabrata Chatterjee, who purchased books worth Rs 3,15,000. The guild officials highlighted that the Kolkata book fair continues to thrive on readers who prefer printed books and enjoy the physical experience of buying their favorite titles.
The 47th edition of the book fair featured literary works and classics, distinguishing it from other fairs that often focus on reference books and texts. The guild president, Tridib Chatterjee, expressed plans for new initiatives in the 48th edition to enhance the digitization of the fair. They introduced maps and QR codes for easy online access and dedicated a day to senior citizens, witnessing a significant increase in footfall compared to the previous year. The dates for the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair in January 2025 will be announced later, considering various factors, including international participants’ schedules and other book fairs globally.
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