At book fairs, people wander from stall to stall, looking for signed books, special editions, classic covers, or even a tempting 10 percent discount. For book lovers, it’s a magical time when book fairs pop up across the country, including in Kolkata.

The Boi Mela, or book fair, holds a special place in the hearts of Bengalis. It’s not just a place to buy books; it’s also a part of the city’s history of reading, learning, and sharing knowledge. Kolkata is proud to host the country’s oldest book exhibition, which is an important part of its rich cultural scene.

The Start of Book Fairs in Colonial India
In their 2021 book Anthology of Significant Events in Indian Art & Socio-Cultural History 1850-2015, Roop Narayan Batham and Nimisha Kesarwani note that India’s first-ever book fair took place in 1918 at College Street in Calcutta (now Kolkata). This event, held in the heart of the city’s education and publishing hub, was organized by key figures like Rabindranath Tagore, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gurudas Banerjee, Bepinchandra Pal, and Aurobindo Ghosh. The fair was hosted by the National Council of Education (NCE), and although it was called a “book exhibition,” it marked the beginning of book fairs in India. The event was held at the site where Goenka College of Commerce stands today, in Bow Bazar, a central area in Kolkata. NCE, founded in 1906, was created in response to the British decision to divide Bengal. It aimed to promote modern scientific and technological education, helping India show its independence from colonial control.

A New Chapter for Indian Publishing
In the early 1970s, a group of literature lovers, mostly publishers, met regularly at the Coffee House on College Street to discuss the Frankfurt Book Fair. Inspired by this international event, they dreamed of starting a similar fair in Kolkata to bring book lovers together and support the local publishing industry.

Arabinda Das Gupta, owner of the 137-year-old bookstore Das Gupta and Company on College Street, recalls, “After two or three years of discussions,” the idea was finally ready in 1975 to bring both Indian and international publishers to the city.

In 1976, 34 publishers set up 56 stalls near the famous Victoria Memorial. The fair opened on March 5 and ran for 10 days, ending on March 14. Visitors paid a 50 paisa entry fee. The fair’s success in its first year showed the need for a bigger venue.

In 1982, Peter Withers, the director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, visited Kolkata. By 1983, the Kolkata Book Fair became internationally recognized. As the fair grew, it moved to the larger Maidan grounds in central Kolkata to accommodate more publishers.