The 49th International Kolkata Book Fair 2026 got underway at Boi Mela Prangan, Salt Lake,
on Thursday. The opening ceremony, hosted by Rini Rai (Biswas), began with singer
Indranil Sen performing Rabindranath Tagore’s Prano Bhoriye Trisha Horiye alongside Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee. The event drew to a close with the national anthems of Argentina
and India, rendered by the Techno India Chinsurah students’ band. Argentina has been
chosen as the focal theme country for this edition of the fair.
The Publishers & Booksellers Guild honoured author Swapnamoy Chakrabarti with the
Lifetime Achievement Award 2026, comprising a citation and a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000.
The award was presented by the Chief Minister in recognition of Chakrabarti’s lasting
contributions to Bengali literature and intellectual life. Banerjee also expressed delight at
being part of the inauguration and presided over the launch of nine notable literary works.
Chief Minister Banerjee announced a grant of Rs 10 crore for the development of a
dedicated space called ‘Boitirtho’ at the book fair grounds, to be ready ahead of the 50th
International Kolkata Book Fair next year.
This year’s fair saw participation from close to 20 countries, among them Argentina, China,
Ukraine, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Nepal, Peru, Costa Rica, and
several other Latin American nations. Tridib Kr. Chatterjee, President of the Publishers &
Booksellers Guild, conveyed his appreciation for the allocation of a permanent venue in
Bidhannagar and for giving the fair a distinct and enduring identity.
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