Welsh poets Joe Dunthorne and Jonathan Edwards will take a walkthrough of Kolkata along with Jeet Thayil and Tishani Doshi as part of the city’s book fair
To experience Kolkata’s rich heritage, Welsh poets Joe Dunthorne and Jonathan Edwards will tittupping the old lanes of ‘city of joy’. In their journey, they will be accompanied by Indian poets Jeet Thayil and Tishani Doshi. later, they will share their experience collectively at Kolkata Book Fair, slated to happen from January 28 to February 8. Many more exciting and unique projects are a part of this year’s KBF, which happens to be the nation’s most attended literary affair. With UK as the focus theme, many British authors are expected to throng the Milan Mela Grounds. William Shakespeare’s 450th birth anniversary and Dylan Thomas’ birth centenary will also be marked with a hall dedicated to each writer.
Some well-known participating writers include British author of Bangladeshi origin Zia Haider Rahman (In The light of What We Know), Anita Anand (Sophia), Naomi Alderman, Qaisra Shahraz (The Holy Woman) and Will Buckingham. Scottish poet Bill Herbert and Ned Thomas’ memoir Bydoedd/Worlds will be launched in Bengali translation at the fair. Professional storyteller Sarah Rundell will also perform at the fair. The book show will begin on a musical note with Ghazalaw, which celebrates affinity between Indianghazal and Welsh folk tradition. Mumbai singer Tauseef Akhtar and Welsh singer-songwriter Gwyneth Glyn would weave the love poetry of their two ancient traditions together to the accompaniment of harp, tabla, guitar and harmonium. Education will be in focus at the UK theme pavilion around the ‘Knowledge is Great’ campaign with speakers from the UK’s higher education sector and English language experts at the fair. Books and online resources from the UK will be displayed at the British Council pavilion. A large number of UK publishers will also be present.
At a time when everything is going digital, the organisers believe that book fairs are more relevant and the digital medium only fosters the canopy-affairs. “You want to meet authors and like-minded people. There is a bigger demand for book festivals. Over two million people visited the Kolkata Book Fair. People come from remotest villages after saving their money throughout the year. The whole range of books is so enticing that a reader cannot help but attend the fair,” says Sujata Sen, director, East India, British Council.