The International Kolkata Book Fair happens to be the biggest festival in our state after Durga Puja. The upcoming 49th International Kolkata Book Fair will commence from 22 January and will continue till 3 February 2026. Like previous years, the fair will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal Smt. Mamata Banerjee. Eminent poets, authors and other scholars will be present as guests of honour at the inauguration. Venue: Boimela Prangan, Karunamoyee, Salt Lake.
At the very outset, we would like to express our deep gratitude towards Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal Smt. Mamata Banerjee. We are indebted to the Urban and Municipal Affairs Department, KMDA and Bidhannagar Municipality for the upgradation of the Mela Prangan. We are also grateful to the other various departments of West Bengal Government including Information & Cultural Affairs, Bidhannagar Police, Kolkata Police for their overall cooperation and support to the Book Fair.
As you know, currently the International Kolkata Book Fair is the world’s largest attended non-trade book festival. Twenty-seven lakh book lovers visited the last book fair in 2025 and the book sales amounted to Rs 23 crores.
Although the size of the fairground remains the same, last year we did manage to increase a few stalls. But this year we deeply regret that we will not be able to increase the number of stalls.
For the first time in the history of the International Kolkata Book Fair, Argentina, a country closely connected with India, especially Bengal, will be the Focal Theme Country in the International Kolkata Book Fair 2026. We sincerely believe that this will contribute towards building stronger bilateral cultural relationship between the two countries.
Today, we have among us Mr Andrés Sebastián Rojas, Head of the Political and Cultural Section of the Embassy of Argentina in India and Mrs Anandi Queipo Riavitz, Head of the Consular Section of the Embassy of Argentina in India. We will hear some interesting news from them about their participation as the focal theme in the book fair.
2027 will be the Golden Jubilee year of the International Kolkata Book Fair. For this, we cordially invite photographers who have covered the Kolkata Book Fair during the first two decades – 1976 to 1996, to share with us their best photos from their archives. The best 10 rare and nostalgic photographs will be awarded. The selected photographs will also be exhibited in the Press Corner of 2026. We also intend to publish those photographs in the 50 years’ Souvenir of the IKBF. The photographers may submit their iconic shots to the guild office within 10 December 2025.
Like every year, Great Britain, USA, Germany, Australia, France, Spain, Peru, Colombia, Japan, Thailand and other Latin American Countries will be participating in the upcoming book fair. We are expecting more international participants this year. Besides, there are publications of other states of India, such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Odisha, Tripura, etc. As always, there will be the Little Magazine Pavilion, the Children’s Pavilion and other such attractions.
Another attraction of the International Kolkata Book Fair — the Kolkata Literature Festival, KLF, will be held on 24 and 25 January 2026.
We welcome everyone to the upcoming International Kolkata Book Fair and Kolkata Literature Festival.
