3 months ago
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The Kolkata Book Fair of 2026, which ended connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026), recorded the highest footfall and income successful its 49 years, with societal media remaining packed with passionate posts astir this yearly lawsuit that is adjacent lone to Durga Puja successful presumption of popularity.
According to the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, which organises the publication fair, the 13-day event, from January 22 to February 3, attracted 32 lakh visitors and recorded full income of ₹27 crore. Last year, the fig of visitors stood astatine 27 lakh.
“The unprecedented footfall was owed to the both-way metro connectivity and six holidays (including weekends) marking the duration of the fair. We are present gearing up for the aureate jubilee solemnisation of the International Kolkata Book Fair with immoderate unsocial events which volition beryllium remembered successful future,” Tridib Chatterjee, wide caput of the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, told The Hindu.
Many regular visitors posted affectional pictures connected societal media connected the closing day, and galore others shared images of their beingness successful publication launches and discussions and them posing with authors.
“When I was a child, my parents would instrumentality maine to the publication just astatine Maidan. In the presumption of a 3 to 4 feet child, the satellite of books seemed expansive and beyond reach. But now, arsenic a grownup, an avid scholar and a small collector, my interests person recovered caller avenues. This publication just was much organised, wherever adjacent a tiny publishing location could permission its footprint. I came crossed respective young authors and poets who are different mean radical similar you and me,” said Shreya C. Mukherjee, who presently lives successful Hyderabad and is visiting Kolkata astatine the moment.
“The absorbing happening was conscionable however galore children were getting mislaid and were being guided backmost to their parents by a artillery of constabulary personnel. I fig this was 1 of those fairs wherever kids and parents alike were enticed by books and forgot each other,” Ms. Mukherjee added.
According to Kanchan Mitra, who volunteered astatine the Yogoda Satsangha Society of India publication stall, the accrued footfall this twelvemonth is not conscionable a fig but was precise overmuch visible. “Unlike erstwhile years erstwhile afternoons tended to beryllium quieter, this clip the travel of visitors felt continuous from greeting till precocious evening. There were hardly immoderate thin hours. A large reason, I believe, was connectivity. The recently operational Green Line Metro seems to person made entree overmuch easier for radical crossed the city. The metro ran astatine higher frequence and for extended hours, which intelligibly helped accommodate the ample crowds. Convenience makes a large difference, and it showed,” Mr. Mitra said.
“What genuinely encouraged maine was the beingness of younger visitors. We saw galore young radical astatine the YSS stall, funny and genuinely funny successful spiritual literature. Several of them were already acquainted with classical works similar Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. While the publication just successful Kolkata is often associated with Bengali readers, this twelvemonth I observed a important fig of Hindi-speaking visitors arsenic well. The just felt much pan-Indian successful tone than ever before. What, therefore, stood retired this twelvemonth was not conscionable the scale, but the energy, inclusiveness, and sustained enthusiasm passim the day,” said Mr. Mitra.
This being Kolkata, adjacent dollops of praise ever travel with a sprinkling of criticism. Ayan Dutta, an technologist by qualification but a literate exertion by profession, wished his friends “Shubho Bijoya” connected Facebook—something that Bengalis privation 1 different erstwhile Durga Puja comes to an end. His connection was evident: that an lawsuit nary little important than Durga Puja had travel to an end. But helium besides had his stock of complaints.
“Gate 1 and 2 were utilized chiefly for nutrient stalls — that should not person been the case. Also, they should prohibition the usage of mikes for singing and quizzing and different noise-generating events astatine the publication just venue. Loud dependable does not spell with browsing. Also this year, the Little Magazine stall was disappointing to maine — I could not find overmuch that was new. But connected the positive side, Dey’s Publishing paid a tribute to aged Bengali publications that were large names successful the 1970’s and 80’s by displaying pictures of their one-time heads, specified arsenic D.K. Gupta of Signet Press. There was cleanliness each around. A publication just representation was easy disposable too,” Mr. Dutta said.
