12 Kolkata: The Boiparay Boi Utsab, the annual festival of books at College Square, was thrown open on Tuesday evening.
Author Sanjib Chattopadhyay inaugurated the fair, which has 55 stalls and 70 participating publishers. Among those present at the opening ceremony was mayor Firhad Hakim.
Organised by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild with support of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the festival, which will continue till Monday, showcases an extensive collection from Bengali and English publishing houses, offering a diverse literary experience. The fair timings are from 3 pm to 8 pm.
Chattopadhyay referred to the book fair as ‘Boi Parbon' because, much like the fair itself, a book festival involved extensive planning and meticulous arrangements.
The first edition of Boiparay Boi Utsab was held in 2013 at the behest of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The book festival was initially launched as the Nababorsho Boi Utsab.
"Buyers can avail of a 20% discount on books, in sync with ‘Chaitra Sale', held at traditional markets ahead of the Bengali New Year. All reputable publishers are participating in this festival," said guild president Tridib Chatterjee.
"This is my first time at this Boi Utsab. I have come from Barrackpore to attend the fair after learning about it online," said a part-time voice artiste, Shreya Ray. "I feel e-books can never replace the essence of holding a physical book," said CU PhD scholar Subhankar Chatterjee.