Time:
last week of JanuaryVenue: Maidan, Kolkata
Significance: it is held every year to meet the growing need of public for books
Calcutta book fair was initiated in the year 1976 by the Calcutta Publishers' and Booksellers' Guild. It was started on a small scale, but today, it is the largest book fair in Asia. Book fair of Kolkata India was conducted in order to meet the public demand for more and more exciting books. It was at that time that there were not adequate bookshops from where people could buy the books of their choice. Book fair of Calcutta India has been gaining momentum every year.
The fair usually starts on the last Wednesday of January. Initially, it was a weeklong event but popular demand has compelled the authorities to extend the duration of fair to 12 days in the year 2005. It is usually held at the Kolkata maidan. Most of the bookstalls are stocked with English and Bengali books. For Bengali books, some of the popular bookstalls include Ananda Publishers, Deb Sahitya Kutir, and Mitra Ghosh Publishers and for English books, the best bookstalls are Timely Books, Seagull Books, Rupa and Co and Penguin India.