Discounts to lure readers into buying at Kolkata book fair

Organisers of the 40th Kolkata International Book Fair on Monday announced discounts and special offers to lure bookworms into purchasing books at the fair instead of opting for them online.

Organised by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, the 12-day event will be inaugurated at the Milan Mela grounds on the eastern fringes of the city on January 25. The fair concludes on February 7. Bolivia is the theme country this year.

Tridib Chatterjee, honorary general secretary of the Guild, conceded that the digital medium has had an effect on the physical sale of books over the counter.

"Many people come to the fair and go through the titles but then they purchase them online. We want them to procure the books at the fair," Chatterjee told the media here, adding that a host of discounts and lotteries were in store.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bolivian author Magela Baudoin will grace the inaugural.

For ease of commuters, special arrangements have been made with taxi-aggregator Ola besides a free bus service.

To connect the youth, a 'heritage walk' will be held to commemorate the 39-year journey of the fair and Kolkata's love affair with books, said Sudhangshu Dey, director of the Guild.

The Guild also released a poster of the iconic Coffee House, which is frequented by book lovers.