36th Kolkata Book Fair Kicks off

The 36th Kolkata Book Fair, considered as one of the world's largest in terms of footfalls, was inaugurated by renowned Italian author Beppe Severgni on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Literary majors like Vikram Seth, Ruskin Bond and Chetan Bhagat are slated to attend the 12-day event, as well as a host of authors from abroad.

The fair, with Italy as the theme country, was inaugurated by Severgni in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries from the cultural and the literary world.

The 36th Kolkata Book Fair has a series of 'firsts' in its kitty. For the first time it features a Kolkata Literary Meet (KLM) organized as part of the fair where renowned writers such as Vikram Seth, Ruskin Bond, Chetan Bhagat, Shashi Tharoor, Mohammed Hanif, Amit Chaudhuri and Kunal Basu would be present.

Popular Bangladeshi author Tahmima Anam, French writer Nicolas Wild, graphic novelist Nicholas Wilde, Scottish travel writer and essayist Kapka Kassabova, Canadian author Craig Taylor, Italian best-selling author Alexandro Baricco are also scheduled to be present.

Another first was a musical concert at the inaugural ceremony, while a signature song sung by Kaushiki Desikan and Monali Thakur and composed by Shantanu Moitra enthralled the audience. A concert focusing on the impact of foreign compositions on Rabindra Nath Tagore's songs brought a melodious end to the program.

Kolkata Book fair has been a part and parcel of Bengal's culture since its inception in 1976. The Kolkata Book Fair, which is also the world's largest non-trade book fair has earned the distinction of being the Asia's largest book fair. It is the world's third largest annual conglomeration of books after the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair.