Kolkata International Book Fair 2025 kickstarts with over 1000 publishers, little magazines and international participation

The Inauguration Ceremony of the International Kolkata Book Fair took place on January 28 in the presence of Hon'ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Dr Phillip Ackermann (Ambassador of Germany in India), Dr Marla Stuckenberg (Regional Director, Goethe Institut, South Asia), Abul Bashar, and other dignitaries. During the ceremony, Abul Bashar received the Guild Lifetime Literary Award worth Rs 2,00,000 from the Chief Minister.

The event showcased around 1000 book publishers and little magazines, with international participation from Germany, the USA, the UK, France, Russia, Nepal, and several Latin American countries. Prominent national and multinational publishing houses will also be present. The fair also features major gates named after notable figures like Salil Chowdhury, Ritwik Ghatak, Goethe, Max Mueller, and others.

A special highlight at the fair will be the Senior Citizen’s Day on February 4 at 4:30 PM, honouring author Joy Goswami, publisher Ranjan Sarkar, and reader Satyabrata Ghoshal. The Book Fair will also introduce its mascot ducks, Haso & Hasi, and launch a "Buy Books and Win a Book Library" initiative, where 15 lucky winners each day will receive Book Gift Coupons worth Rs. 1000.