1 week ago
Bengal Forms Panel to Oversee Kolkata Book Fair 2027
The West Bengal government has created a 24-member group to help oversee the 2027 Kolkata Book Fair.
The fair has traditionally been organised by the Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild.
For 2027, the Guild will share organising duties with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust.
A larger advisory committee will also help guide the event.
Some Guild representatives are on the committee, but its current president and secretary are not.
The committee also includes monks, publishers, political figures, a journalist and a poet.
The government says this change will give more organisations a chance to participate.
The plan follows calls for the fair to become more inclusive and independent of one group.
The West Bengal government has formed a 24-member committee to oversee the International Kolkata Book Fair 2027.
The Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild will no longer have sole control, with the Guild, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and National Book Trust set to jointly organise the fair.
Current Guild president Sudhangshushekhar De and secretary Tridib Kumar Chatterjee were excluded, although four other Guild representatives were appointed.
The committee includes representatives of religious organisations, publishers, BJP and RSS figures, a journalist and a poet.
The government says the restructuring aims to make the fair more inclusive and reduce the dominance of any single organisation.
- Who
- The West Bengal government, the Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, the National Book Trust and a 24-member advisory committee.
- What
- The government has formed a committee to oversee the International Kolkata Book Fair 2027 and plans to end the Guild’s sole control over its organisation.
- Where
- The fair is held at Salt Lake Central Park in Kolkata, while the planning meetings took place at the state secretariat.
- When
- The announcement was made on August 26; preparatory meetings were held on August 17 and 21.
- Why
- The government says the change is intended to make the fair more inclusive and reduce the dominance of any single organisation.
Broader, shared oversight
Guild-centered organisation
Control of the fair
Broader, shared oversight
The government and supporters of the restructuring say the event should be opened to publishers, printers and booksellers of all sizes and should not remain under one organisation’s sole control.
Guild-centered organisation
The Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild has organised the fair since its inception and will continue participating as one of the joint organisers, although it will no longer control the event alone.
Public role and identity
Broader, shared oversight
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya called for an inclusive, independent “universal platform” and described the fair as a symbol of “Indianness.”
Guild-centered organisation
The reported plan places organisational responsibility with established bodies—the Guild, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust—rather than assigning sole responsibility to a new committee.
Key facts
- Committee size
- 24 members
- Event
- International Kolkata Book Fair 2027
- Joint organisers
- Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and National Book Trust
- Committee role
- Overall advisory oversight
- Excluded Guild officeholders
- President Sudhangshushekhar De and secretary Tridib Kumar Chatterjee
- Named Guild representatives
- Debajyoti Dutta, Anil Acharya, Milind De and Rajkumar Barman
- Planning meetings
- August 17 and 21 at the state secretariat
Sources
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