No entry fee for 35th Kolkata Book Fair

The 35th Kolkata Book Fair, the second largest in the world after the Frankfurt Book Fair, begins here from January 25 with the organisers lifting the entry fee for the first time.

This time the focal theme of the fair will be ‘America’.

"We are not charging any entry fee this time as a mark of respect to Rabindranath Tagore on his 150th birth anniversary," joint secretary of Publishers and Booksellers Guild Sudhangshu De said today.

De said the Guild had set a precedence to organisers of all book fairs by withdrawing the entry fee this time "which will save time of standing in the long queues by book lovers".

 

The organisers were in touch with the West Bengal government for developing infrastructure at Milan Mela ground for smooth holding of the fair which would end on February 6.

The venue of the fair was shifted from the maidan area following the directive of the Calcutta High Court few years ago.

De said the number of foreign participants would be higher at Kolkata as the World Book Fair will not be held in New Delhi this time.

"Security measures would be as strict as before and CCTV will be installed in the fair ground and in stalls, he said.