However, organisers of Asia's biggest book fair are still apprehensive, keeping in mind the disgrace in January 2007 when the Kolkata High Court did not allow them to host the fair at the Maidan, a vast stretch of green in the heart of the city, on environmental ground. The Publishers and Booksellers Guild had to shift the most-awaited cultural event to Salt Lake in 2007 after the city's green brigade won a legal battle to block the fair at the Maidan..
Kolkata Book Fair 2011
USA has been selected the focal theme country for the 2011 Book Fair. Electricity Issues are there.This year Kolkata book fair celebrates its 35th year.
the starting date of this year was 26 january 2011.Britain, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, Italy, Spain Mongolia, China and 14 Latin American Country along with Kolkata book FAir orgazing partner country Mexico had participated in 34 th Kolkata Book Fair at Milan Mela Ground in the year 2010. This time also Book lovers and publishers across the world are expected to join in the Book
Fair. The Focal theme country this will be United
States.
Kolkata Book Fair 2011 Venue
Kolkata book Fairs were previously help at Moidan ground. But since the HC had ordered against spoilling the Moidan by the huge footfall and construction work, the last 2 Book Fairs are now organized at Milan Mela Prangan. Milan Mela ground toatal area covers 75330 sq.mt.
How to reach Milan Ground to visit Kolkata Book Fair 2011
Easily accerssible bus service is available to visit Kolkata Book Fair 2011. AC buses will ply through the city to pick up visitors to the Milan Mela Ground. The Book Fair venue is 15 minutes road journey from Kolkata Airport. Buses are available from the Airport premise itself.
Kolkata Book Fair 2011 theme country
Kolkata Book Fair 2011 has United States as its theme country. In the year 2010, in 34th Kolkata Book Fair Mexico was the theme country.
Kolkata Book Fair 2011 theme song too is ready. The lyrics of Kolkata Book Fair 2011starts as Oi Dakse boi, jeno patai patai likha onek kotha is a catchy song. Closing date of Kolkata book Fair 2011 was 6th february 2011.
Kolkata Book Fair 2010
Mexico has been selected the focal theme country for the 2010 Book Fair. Electricity Issues are there.
[Kolkata Book Fair 2009
Scotland was selected the focal theme country for the 2009
Book Fair.
Kolkata Book Fair 2008
The United States of America has been elected the focal theme country for the 2008 Book Fair and will be given a pavilion to showcase its books and publishers. Also, a US Kolkata Literary Exchange (USKLE) has been created to organize this event with the Consulate General of the United States of America in Kolkata. The Kolkata Book Fair is scheduled for January 30 to February 10, 2008.
Pulitzer Prize winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa will lead the delegation to the 2008 Kolkata Book Fair. Joining him on the board of advisers are several US poet laureates, including Rita Dove and Donald Hall.
According to Henry V Jardine, the United States Consul General in Kolkata, "With the United States as the “Theme Country” this year, the Consulate along with other organizations will work to bring a range of great programs, with prominent authors, artists, and academics. We will have a full schedule of events throughout the Fair time to highlight the life, culture, literature and arts of the United States. The Kolkata-based American Library will provide a display of some of its many books, periodicals and electronic media that are available for students, academics, or anyone wanting access to the Library’s collection.
Also, our office of the U.S. Educational Foundation in India (USEFI) will conduct programs for prospective students interested in studying in the United States. USEFI has done such an impressive job over the last few years in promoting United States schools and universities that Indian students now represent the largest number of foreign students in the United States. “SPAN” Magazine, which is a popular source of information on the close Indo-U.S. relationship, will also have representatives present and a display to highlight its more fascinating articles about shared Indian and American experiences." Less than 24 hours before its inauguration, Kolkata High Court has banned the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair from being held on the Park Circus Maidan on environmental grounds. The fair was to be held from January 29 to February 10. The court verdict is a culmination of a long-drawn battle between the environmentalists and the state on holding fairs at the Maidan, close to Victoria Memorial. In November 2003, the state had assured the court all fairs would be shifted from the Maidan and a permanent complex would come up on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.
Controversy over the 2007 fair
The 2007 fair has already attracted a lot of controversy over the Kolkata High Court decision banning fairs on the Maidan. The court granted the fair special permission for the year of 2005, and permission for "one last time" in the year 2006 to be held at Maidan, which has been the venue of the fair for the last 31 years. The Kolkata Book Fair was the only fair granted special permission in 2006. Despite the 2 years given to the fair organizers to find alternative venues, no progress was made till 2007, mainly due to the fact that Kolkata lacks a large convention center with modern facilities. An objection on the grounds of environmental damage was raised for the 2007 fair and it has drawn protest from various independent groups like the Save the Maidan. campaign. The High Court has forbidden Guild to hold the fair on Maidan.
A large part of the intellectuals, authors, editors, journalists and book lovers, including Sunil Gangopadhyay, Shirshendu Bandyopadhyay, Samaresh Majumder, Suchitra Bhattacharya, Buddhadev Guha, Mrinal Sen, the Mayor of Kolkata, turned up at the Maidan venue on January 31, the day of the inauguration of the fair, to protest the Kolkata High Court order banning the fair, and to symbolically inaugurate the KolkataBook Fair. This was to show that the spirit of people supporting the fair cannot be killed.
The rescheduled Book Fair was held in Salt Lake City, a place located at the outskirts of Kolkata from February 9 up to February 25. With lesser space and lesser footfall, the 2007 fair was a moderate success at best. 2009 book fair at Milan Mela Maidan was a gala success. The figures published by the organizing committee indicates that.
In 2010 Inagauration Honarable Chief Minister of West Bengal Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya remarked.
ParticipantsMost bookstalls in the book fair keep English and Bengali books. Popular book stalls include Ananda Publishers, Dey's Publishing, Deb Sahitya Kutir, and Mitra Ghosh Publishers,Pratibhas, Punashcha, Sishu Sahitya Samsad, Deep Prakashan, Tuli Kalam, Bhasha o Sahitya, Maondol Book House, Saraswato Library - among Bengali language book shops and Timely Books, Seagull Books, Rupa & Co. , Penguin India, Tata Mcgraw-Hill - among English language book shops.
In 2007 for the first time Romania is included among the participants. Teodora Enache, one of the best jazz artists in Romania, will be as well 'present' through her music.
Other notable annual stalls include:
The initial rule that only publishers, and not institutions which just sold or distributed books but did not publish any books, can participate in the fair has been waved in the 2000s. This rule often forced small distributors to bring out a token publication just to be able to participate in the fair.
Themes
Starting from the 1990s, the book fair has been themed annually, typically on a country - on the lines of the Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The theme country embassy is typically given a stall at the fairground centre, and many book shops theme their collections based on the fair theme. The temporary gates of the fair are designed according to the theme, on the basis of a design competition among Kolkata students.
Typically, the Chief Guest at the fair is from the themed country and have been such noted dignitaries as Günter Grass and Richard Dawkins. Starting from 2005, one of the newest participating international pavilions is named the 'guest of honour', and is a kind of secondary theme of the fair. Australia was the guest of honour for 2007.