All About The 2024 Kolkata Book Fair, Set To Be The Biggest Ever

With the advent of digital technology, many predicted that books would soon be on their way out. Not only has that been proven wrong, but book sales have increased. According to data from GfK Entertainment, a subsidiary of GfK, and Nielsen BookData, the global book market recorded a rise in revenues in many markets in the first eight months of 2023. The gains ranged from single figures in economically strong sales territories such as France (+1.3%) and the UK (+1.8%) to considerable increases in the emerging book markets of India (+8.7%) and Mexico (+10%). A good book continues to be a draw. Kolkata, the City of Joy has always been a cultural hub and a bibliophile's haven, with independent and specialty bookstores, secondhand book stalls, as well as annual lit fests. The largest and most popular is the Kolkata Book Fair or Boi Mela. The 47th edition of the Kolkata Book Fair will be held from January 18 to 31 this year. And it is set to be the largest ever, with more than 1,000 stalls.