9 French authors to attend Lit Fest at Kolkata book fair

Nine French authors will be attending the Kolkata Literature Festival that will be hosted as part of the International Kolkata Book Fair this year.
The five authors will be Volodine, Christian Garcin, Gerard Meudal, Jean Claude Perrier, Katia Legeret, Philippe Forest, Sabine Wespiser, Sebastian Ortiz and Shumona Sinha, the general secretary of the Kolkata Book Fair organisers Tridib Chatterjee said at a press meet here today.
While the 42nd International Kolkata Book Fair, recognised by International Publishers Association Geneva, will be inaugurated on January 30 by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and conclude on February 11, the Kolkata Literature Festival will be held at the fair ground from February 8-10.

France is the focal theme of the International Kolkata Book Fair this year and the theme country's pavilion will be bigger than last year.
"The French pavilion will cover a large area of 14,000 square feet and it will have the latest digital look reflecting the change in technology over the years. It will showcase the French culture and heritage," the French Consul General in Kolkata Damien Syed said.
Tridib Chatterjee said the gates of the book fair will also have French architectural references.

The guild will also confer a special honour to legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee on the inaugural day while French Culture minister Francoise Nyssen will confer Legion of Honour to the Dada Saheb Falke winner in a separate event at a city hotel.

The minister will also attend the Book fair and visit the French pavilion.
In addition, five authors from Russia, including Peter Voltsit, Lev Danilkin and Tatiana Moskvina, will be attending the Kolkata Literature Festival (KLF) at the Book fair.
A total number of 65 authors will be attending the KLF.
There will also be representatives from Bangladesh, Spain and Columbia among others.