The Kolkata Book Fair (Old name: Calcutta Book Fair in English, and officially Kolkata Boimela or Kolkata Pustakmela in romanized Bengali, Bengali: (কলকাতা বইমেলা বা কলকাতা পুস্তকমেলা) is a winter fair in Kolkata. It is a unique book fair in the sense of not being a trade fair - the book fair is primarily for the general public rather than whole-sale distributors. It is the world's largest non-trade book fair, Asia's largest book fair and the most attended book fair in the world. It is the world's third largest annual conglomeration of books after the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair. Many Kolkatans consider the book fair an inherent part of Kolkata, and instances of people visiting the fair every day during its duration is not uncommon. The fair also has a typical fairground experience with a book flavour - with the presence of picnickers, singer-songwriters, and candy floss vendors on the fair premises. With a total footfall of over 2 million people, it is world's largest book fair by attendance.
The success of the Kolkata Book Fair has resulted in many book fairs in smaller cities in West Bengal like Siliguri, and was inspired, in turn, by the first World Book Fair at New Delhi in 1972.
The popularity of the Kolkata Book Fair was seminal in India being nominated the Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2006, according to the Frankfurt Book Fair organizers. The book fair has been celebrated in theatre, literature, songs and limericks in Kolkata.
Read more about Kolkata Book Fair: Inception, Duration, Venue, Kolkata Book Fair 2012, Kolkata Book Fair 2011, Kolkata Book Fair 2010, Kolkata Book Fair 2009, Kolkata Book Fair 2008, Controversy Over The 2007 Fair, Participants, Themes, Dedicated Enclaves, Events, Propaganda, Problems and Solutions, Recent Statistics, Pictures Gallery
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