Kolkata International Book Fair 2027: Bengal govt forms 24-member advisory panel
Synopsis
West Bengal has quietly dismantled a decades-old arrangement — the Publishers & Booksellers Guild's unchallenged grip on the Kolkata International Book Fair. A new 24-member advisory panel, with religious institutions, the National Book Trust, and the EZCC all at the table, signals a deliberate political and cultural reset ahead of the 2027 edition.
Key Takeaways
The West Bengal Government formed a 24-member advisory committee for the Kolkata International Book Fair on 26 August .
The 2027 fair will be jointly organised by the Publishers & Booksellers Guild , Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre , and National Book Trust — ending the Guild's sole control.
Guild secretary Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay and president Sudhangshu Kumar Dey , reportedly close to Mamata Banerjee , have been excluded from the panel.
Organisations represented include the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission , Bharat Sevashram Sangha , and the National Book Trust .
Journalist Prasenjit Bakshi has been appointed convener of the new advisory committee.
The West Bengal Government on Wednesday, 26 August announced the formation of a 24-member high-powered advisory committee to oversee the organisation of the Kolkata International Book Fair, ending the exclusive control the Publishers & Booksellers Guild had exercised over the event for years. The move marks a significant structural shift in how one of Asia's largest book fairs is governed.
What the New Committee Changes
The 2027 Kolkata International Book Fair will no longer be solely under the control of the Publishers & Booksellers Guild. Instead, the event will be jointly organised by the Guild, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), and the National Book Trust. The newly constituted advisory board will provide guidance and oversight across all aspects of the fair.
A state government official said the committee was formed to ensure wider participation and to resolve operational issues that had surfaced in previous editions of the fair.
Who Is on the Committee
The advisory panel draws representation from a broad cross-section of cultural and publishing organisations. These include the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission — founded by Swami Vivekananda — the Bharat Sevashram Sangha, the National Book Trust, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, and the Publishers & Booksellers Guild.
Prominent members include Swami Aryeshananda, who heads Udbodhan, the publication wing of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, and Swami Saraswatananda, who leads the publication department of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha. The Guild is represented by Devajyoti Dutta, Anil Acharya, Milind Dey, and Rajkumar Burman. Journalist Prasenjit Bakshi has been appointed convener of the committee.
Notable Exclusions from the Guild
Despite the Guild retaining representation on the panel, its current secretary Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay and president Sudhangshu Kumar Dey have not been included. Both are reportedly close associates of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Their exclusion is widely seen as a deliberate distancing from the Guild's previous power structure.
How the Committee Will Function
According to the government official, the advisory committee may meet as frequently as required and can invite Guild members or representatives from other organising bodies for coordination. Sub-committees for specific aspects of the fair's management may also include advisory board members as needed.
With the 2027 fair now under a multi-stakeholder framework, how effectively the new structure translates into smoother organisation will be closely watched by India's publishing community.
Point of View
The state government has surgically reduced the TMC's cultural influence without abolishing the body outright. The inclusion of the Ramakrishna Math and Bharat Sevashram Sangha broadens the fair's ideological footprint in ways that will not go unnoticed. Whether the multi-stakeholder model actually improves the fair's organisation, or simply redistributes patronage, is the question the 2027 edition will answer.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new advisory committee for the Kolkata International Book Fair?
It is a 24-member high-powered panel constituted by the West Bengal Government on 26 August to oversee and guide the organisation of the Kolkata International Book Fair. The committee includes representatives from the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, National Book Trust, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, and the Publishers & Booksellers Guild.
Who will organise the 2027 Kolkata International Book Fair?
The 2027 edition will be jointly organised by the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, and the National Book Trust — replacing the Guild's previous sole control over the event.
Why were the Guild's president and secretary excluded from the committee?
Guild president Sudhangshu Kumar Dey and secretary Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay were not included in the new panel, reportedly because both are known to be close associates of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The government has not offered a formal explanation for their exclusion.
Who is the convener of the new advisory committee?
Journalist Prasenjit Bakshi has been appointed convener of the 24-member advisory committee for the Kolkata International Book Fair.
Why did the West Bengal Government form this committee?
According to a state government official, the committee was constituted to ensure wider participation in the book fair and to address operational issues that arose in previous editions. It effectively ends the Publishers & Booksellers Guild's long-standing monopoly over the event.
