Publishers & Booksellers Guild to organise 50th Kolkata Book Fair

Kolkata, Sept. 4 -- After months of speculation and controversy over who would be responsible for organising the landmark 50th International Kolkata Book Fair in 2027, the Publishers and Booksellers Guild is set to retain the responsibility of organising the much-awaited event.

The book fair has been at the centre of controversy following the change of government in Bengal, with the state government subsequently constituting a 24-member advisory committee to suggest an overhaul of the city's flagship literary event. In a notable departure from the past, the president and secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild were not included in the newly-constituted panel.

However, highly placed sources told Millennium Post that the Publishers and Booksellers Guild will continue to organise the 50th International Kolkata Book Fair, which is scheduled to begin on January 22, 2027.

According to sources, representatives of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild held several rounds of meetings at Nabanna. Following these discussions, the Guild is understood to have been given the responsibility of organising the 2027 edition of the book fair. The Guild's current secretary, Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay, could not be reached for comment.

A few days ago, the Suvendu Adhikari government constituted a 24-member committee to advise on the organisation of the book fair. The panel brought together representatives from the Ramakrishna Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha and the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, among others.

The 2027 edition was initially expected to be jointly organised by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, the Eastern

Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust, with the newly constituted advisory committee providing inputs and recommendations on the conduct of the event.

With the latest development, however, the baton appears to have returned to the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, which has been organising the International Kolkata Book Fair since its inception in 1976. The Guild is now set to oversee the landmark 50th edition of the fair in 2027.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.