Are you the type of bookworm who takes pleasure in scholarly disagreements and conversations about various literary genres? You must then actively participate in annual book fairs and keep an eye out for book clubs. Given that Kolkata is the cultural centre of India, it should come as no surprise that it ranks highly on the list of destinations for book lovers.
Here is a list of some well-known book clubs and fairs around the city if you’re looking for a decent book to read.
This one is for you if you always wonder whether to be or not to be. The group is entirely dedicated to Shakespeare; they hold regular events, such as seminars, symposia, and workshops (not just on Shakespeare, but also on Rabindranath Tagore and other writers from both India and outside). Shakespeare’s plays are performed live, as are films and television programmes about Shakespeare and literature, exhibitions, discussions, musical performances by the “Shakespeare Choir,” and quizzes where you can test your comprehension of the author’s works.
Book Clubs in Kolkata
2. Book Lover’s Club in Kolkata
This Facebook group features discussions on all literary genres, book reviews, suggestions for new reads, information on publishing houses, and information on printing options. The group currently has more than a thousand members, and anyone can join.
Kolkata Book Clubs
This book club in Kolkata, which is run by students at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Kolkata, chooses a book each month and meets to discuss it at the end of the month. Additionally, they plan other participatory events including quizzes, panel discussions, debates, writing competitions for short stories, and an annual spelling bee. Special membership benefits include the ability to order any book, and have it sent to the institute library, as well as the opportunity to sit on the editorial board of Muse, their yearly magazine.
Book Clubs in Kolkata
4. Swipe Right, Booklovers
Swipe Right Booklover, which is put on by Oxford Bookstore, is the pinnacle of literary speed dating. Around 50 people in their 20s and 30s attended this event in August to discuss a book with a partner who was chosen at random. You might discuss any topic related to literature during a five-minute conversation and hope to connect through a shared enthusiasm for reading. Check the Oxford Bookstore’s Facebook page frequently for updates.
Kolkata Book Clubs
This book club in Kolkata was established in 2014 with the main goal of giving budding authors, poets, songwriters, playwrights, and scriptwriters a dynamic platform to share their works with a supportive audience. This book club provides interactive debates with renowned writers, filmmakers, poets, dramatists, and scriptwriters from the nation and outside. It is affiliated with the Kolkata Literary Festival and Kolkata Book Fair. Membership is open to everyone, and their programmes are often held in the evenings.
Book Clubs in Kolkata
La Maison de Livres, or the house of books, is a book club in Kolkata for children. By engaging in storytelling sessions, book discussions, interactive sessions with visiting authors, word games, and creative writing, the founder, Diva Jain, ensures that young children easily transition into reading. In keeping with its goal of encouraging children to use their imaginations freely, Jain also invites them to create their own stories and play out scenes from their favourite books. The classes are separated into suitable age groups and reading preferences.
Kolkata Book Clubs
The first annual literary festival held in Kolkata each year is the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Fest. The festival is very well-liked by the locals since it encapsulates the extensive cultural legacy of the former capital. The Apeejay Literary Fest gathers literary masterminds of all mediums, including music, art, and film, under one roof at the Oxford Bookstore, from Kolkata’s six subcultures and its vibrant and engrossing literary ties to the rest of the world.
The festival gives attendees the chance to interact meaningfully with their favourite authors and experience the power of the written word while also offering newly published authors a chance to take centre stage. The fest is held every year between January 15 and January 18.
Book Clubs in Kolkata
The Kolkata Literary Meet, a highly esteemed event, is the longest-running festival in the city, lasting 6 days and including more than 100 speakers. Ruskin Bond, Amish Tripathi, and Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen are just a few of the well-known authors who have been invited to the event. Every year, this festival’s themes change, with the contentious topic of the nation’s escalating intolerance serving as the emphasis of last year’s theme. Between January 21 and 26, the Kolkata Literary Meet is conducted annually.
Kolkata Book Clubs
9. Kolkata Book Fair
For authors and fans from all over the world, the Kolkata Book Fair is heaven on earth. It is the largest book market in Asia and the third largest in the world, and it takes place every winter. The Kolkata Book Fair is the most popular non-commercial book market in the world since it is available to the general people unlike the well-known trade book fair in London.
Themes in this material change depending on the nation that is featured for the year, with books and authors from that nation taking centre stage. High-profile publishers like Penguin, Tata McGraw Hill, Bloomsbury, and many others are known for attending the expo, which also stays true to its Bengali heritage by welcoming publishers like Ananda Publishers each year.
Book Clubs in Kolkata
10. Book Reading Club
The Book Reading Club in Kolkata is a community for like-minded readers to discuss books and contemporary technologies on Facebook alone. It is a public forum where users may share and debate literary pieces they have written. The book club has 275 members as of right now, and it regularly updates posts on various kinds of literature.
Kolkata Book Clubs
It would be a good idea to join one now that you are aware of how many Kolkata book clubs and book fairs there are in Kolkata. Book clubs will provide you many reasons to read even if you don’t enjoy it. Meeting fellow bookworms will help you learn about new books and further develop your habit of reading.
