Kolkata: The govt has formed a 24-member advisory board, comprising two monks, a senior journalist and representatives from various fields, to guide the Kolkata Book Fair committee in organising the 50th International Kolkata Book Fair 2027, scheduled to be held from Jan 22 to Feb 3, 2027.
The Publishers & Booksellers Guild will organise the fair in collaboration with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust.
The decision was taken at a meeting in Nabanna, attended by representatives of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Ramakrishna Mission, National Book Trust and the principal secretary of the mass education extension and library services department. The advisory board will guide the book fair committee, encourage wider participation and address management issues raised earlier.
The board includes Swami Aryeshananda of RKM, Swami Saraswatananda of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, four representatives of the Guild, EZCC director Ashis Giri and personalities from different fields. Guild president Sudhangshu Dey and general secretary Tridib Chatterjee have not been included in the advisory board. The board will meet as often as necessary and may invite Guild members and organisers for better coordination. Subcommittees responsible for various management activities related to the fair will co-opt members from the advisory board as required.
Journalist Prasenjit Bakshi, who will act as the board’s convener, said the first meeting would be held on Saturday. “We will discuss plans to organise the book fair in a grand way. The Guild will collaborate with EZCC and NBT this time,” Bakshi said.
EZCC director Giri could not be reached for comment.
Guild officials said a request was submitted to the state urban development and municipal affairs minister in charge for the allotment of the designated Central Park fairground for the book fair. “The Guild has been requested to follow up the matter with the UD&MA department,” an official said.
Guild president Dey said 2027 would mark 50 years of the International Kolkata Book Fair and the Guild had several plans to make the event grander. “We will start our preparations. The advisory committee has been formed and we are all waiting for the book fair to be organised on a bigger scale and with more grandeur,” Dey said. Guild general secretary Chatterjee said, “We welcome this board, formed by the govt. We are eagerly waiting to organise the 50th International Kolkata Book Fair 2027 in a grand way.”