For the first time, the International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF) will showcase the culture and literature of a Scheduled Tribe and will hold special interactive sessions with them. This year in its 43rd edition, the IKBF will have a special focus on the Lepcha community who will also have stall at the fair. Lepchas are an indigenous community residing in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district, Sikkim and Nepal. IKBF will start from Thursday.

“We have decided to focus and showcase the literature and culture of Indian Scheduled Tribe in the Book Fair. This year's the focus will be Lepchas who will also participate in the fair with a stall,” stated a release by the organisers of IKBF the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild. 

The organisers also said that on February 2 an interactive session with the Lepcha community will also be held.

This year Guatemala will be the focal theme country of IKBF. Besides authors from Guatemala authors and delegates from 25 other countries such as Russia, Costa Rica, Spain, Scotland, Argentina and Bangladesh will also participate in IKBF. 

There will be about 600 stalls at IKBF, said Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, the general secretary of the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild. 

Last year IKBF recorded a footfall of 2.2 million and earned revenue of RS. 2.2 crore.