Kolkata's very own Hogwarts

While the reading culture erodes and many books go unread, the passion for buying them remains unabated at fairs

Stanislaw Lem’s 1961 novel, Return from the Stars, shocked readers culturally by pointing out that there hadn’t been a book published in almost 50 years. “The books were crystals with recorded contents... At a touch, successive pages of the text appeared on it.” An ebook, huh? However, printed books are still published, fortunately, and book fairs attract thousands of visitors, making them the top festivity.

For instance, the 47th International Kolkata Book Fair, referred to locally as “Boi Mela,” which is underway from January18-31, is a bibliophile’s paradise! With an estimated footfall of 2.6 million people in the 2023 edition, it’s