48th Kolkata Book Fair begins with a record number of stalls

Photo: PTI

The 48th International Kolkata Book Fair 2025 kicked off on Tuesday with an exciting inauguration ceremony. West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the German Ambassador to India, Phillip Ackermann, were the chief guests at the event. This year's book fair is extra special as it features a record 1,057 book stalls, the highest number in the event’s history, with Germany as the theme country.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by many dignitaries, including Dr. Marla Stuckenberg, the Regional Director of the Goethe-Institut in South Asia, and the well-known writer Abul Bashar. Abul Bashar was honored with the prestigious Guild Lifetime Literary Award, along with a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000, for his contributions to literature.

Ambassador Phillip Ackermann described the book fair as a "mela of books," comparing its cultural importance to that of the Kumbh Mela, a major cultural event in India. He also spoke about Germany’s rich literary history and encouraged visitors to check out the German Pavilion at the fair.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also spoke during the inauguration, emphasizing the strong cultural and historical connection between Bengal and Germany. She reminded the audience of the connection between Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Germany. She said, “Our culture celebrates unity in diversity. Our forefathers gave us this philosophy, and we honor it.”

This year's fair has more than 1,000 publishers participating, including several smaller magazine groups, and features books from countries like the USA, UK, France, Russia, Nepal, Spain, Peru, Argentina, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Visitors will also find books from major national and international publishers.

The fairgrounds are decorated with iconic gates named after important cultural figures such as Salil Chowdhury, Ritwik Ghatak, Jibanananda Das, Goethe, and famous German writers like Rainer Maria Rilke, Franz Kafka, and Thomas Mann. For the first time, the fair has introduced two new mascots—ducks named Haso and Hasi—to make the event even more fun and engaging for visitors, especially kids.

The 48th Kolkata Book Fair will continue until February 9, giving everyone plenty of time to enjoy the books, explore the cultural highlights, and discover more about the world of literature.

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