20 countries to take part in this year's Kolkata book fair

Twenty countries will participate in this year's Kolkata International Book Fair, scheduled to be held from January 29 to February 9.

A large number of writers from Russia, Costa Rica, Spain, Scotland, Australia, Guatemala, Argentina, Bangladesh will be participating in sessions and seminars along with noted Indian authors at the book fair, said Tridib Chatterjee, president of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild.

Russia is the theme country of this year's book fair and the theme gate will be a replica of the iconic Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Chatterjee said 40 publishers from Bangladesh will be participating in this year's fair.

The book fair will be inaugurated at the Central Park Mela Complex in Salt Lake by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in presence of Russian ambassador Nikolay Rishatovich Kudashev, he said.

Touted as the largest book fair in the world in terms of footfall, this edition will see 600 stalls.

The two big halls of the book fair have been named after writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen and playwright Girish Karnad, both of whom died in 2019.

The other major attraction of the book fair will be the 7th edition of the Kolkata Literature Festival, which will be held from February 6 to 8.