KOLKATA, May 12 -- With the slogan "The more the books, the more the life," the 35th New York International Bengali Book Fair, one of the largest literary and cultural gatherings of Bengalis living abroad, is set to begin on May 22 in New York. Organised by the Muktodhara Foundation, the four-day fair will be held at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens.
Popular Bangladeshi writer Imdadul Haq Milon will inaugurate the fair. Eminent economist and educationist Rehman Sobhan will attend as the chief guest. The guest list also includes Prof Rounaq Jahan, media personality and children's writer Faridur Reza Sagar, American poet Bob Coleman, Indian poet Subodh Sarkar, writer Faruk Moinuddin, journalist Toufique Imrose Khalidi, scientist and writer Dipen Bhattacharya, and popular author Sadat Hossain.
Recently a press meet was held at a restaurant in Jackson Heights with Nazrul Islam, convener of the 35th book fair; Ziauddin Ahmed, chairman of the Muktodhara Foundation; CEO Biswajit Saha; convener committee member Obaidullah Mamun; and Rabbani Bhuiyan.
According to the organisers, more than 25 publishing houses from Bangladesh, India, the USA, and other countries will participate this year. The fair will feature book launches, author-reader interactions, literary discussions, poetry recitations, musical performances, and a wide range of cultural programmes. Nazrul Islam said, "People who believe in Bangladesh's secular spirit need greater unity now more than ever. The book fair also serves as a platform for that cultural unity."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.