Kolkata: Commemorating the 150th year of Vande Mataram and 80 years of Independence, India (Bharat) is going to be the focal theme country of the 50th International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF) 2027 to be held from Jan 22 to Feb 3, with a focus on nationalism and Swachh Bharat, where the country’s journey towards Independence like the Partition and great riots of 1946 will be documented.It was earlier proposed that Israel would be the theme country of the book fair, but the proposal did not work out, officials said, adding that this would be the second time that India will be the theme country of the book fair. The previous time when India was the theme country was in 2001.Representatives of the Publishers & Booksellers Guild and the book fair advisory board on Wednesday visited the Salt Lake Central Park fairground to inspect the ground. Officials said that they would attempt to accommodate more stalls according to demands.Guild general secretary Tridib Chatterjee and advisory board convener Prasenjit Bakshi said that the 50th IKBF will have chief minister Suvendu Adhikari as the chief guest, but unlike the previous years when former CM Mamata Banerjee used to inaugurate it, the book fair will be inaugurated by an eminent person from the literary field.“Vande Mataram will be the primary theme and there will be more thoughts on nationalism. There will be special focus on cleanliness as Swachhata is one of the prime agenda,” Bakshi said. “The 125th birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, 100 years of Rakta Karabi, the Partition and great riot of 1946, will be documented and showcased in the IKBF 2027,” said Chatterjee.Officials said that this time an online registration portal has been opened for national and international publishers and publishing houses to apply for participation in the book fair. “The aim is to bring more transparency in the stall allocation process,” officials said. IKBF 2027 will be organised by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild in collaboration with Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and National Book Trust under the guidance of the 24-member book fair advisory board formed by the state govt.
