The annual Kolkata Book Fair is recovering its attraction for book lovers, many of whom were upset after its shifting last year from the centrally-located Maidan, the traditional venue.
Last year, the venue was shifted to the suburb of Salt Lake and the fair incurred losses of Rs 17 lakh. However, this year’s fair, the 33rd, has closed on a successful note. The Publishers and Booksellers Guild, the organising body, has reported business close to
Rs 16 crore, which is 80 per cent of the profit earned in 2006, the last one at the Maidan.
“This year at the Milan Mela grounds, only 1.2 million people came and yet, we have already earned 80 per cent of the business we did at the Maidan. At the Maidan, around 2.2 million book lovers used to drop in,” said Tridib Chatterjee, secretary, Guild.
This has led many to believe the Milan Mela ground has the potential to become a better venue than Maidan, if the infrastructure facilities are improved. The Guild had 18 acres for the fair this year, instead of the 23 acres on the Maidan. “The footfall at the Maidan used to be greater but this year, only those people visited who really wanted to buy books. We sold books worth Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh per day,” said Samir Dey, marketing manager, Allied Publishers
“Hiring Milan Mela grounds cost Rs 40 lakh. It would have cost us Rs 1.5 crore, but thanks to the chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the rent was reduced to Rs 40 lakh. But we are still running a deficit of Rs 61 lakh,” said Chatterjee.
In 2010, the fair will reportedly be held from January 27 to February 7.
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This year for the first time, performers from abroad took part at the closing ceremony. The theme country (Scotland this year) had sent a bagpiper band, which performed in kilts, the traditional dress.
According to the National Book Trust, India is perhaps the only country in the world which publishes books in 24 languages. Its website says there are nearly 16,000 publishers producing not less than 80,000 titles in all major Indian languages, including English, with an annual turnover of Rs 100,00 crore. Since almost 40 per cent of the titles are in English, India ranks third in the publication of English books, immediately after the US and the UK, it says.