Readers will get to engage with the finest literature from the United Kingdom at the 47th International Kolkata Book Fair 2024, as it has been declared the focal theme country for this edition. This year, the Boi Mela will be held from January 18 to 31 at Central Park Mela Ground, with a special UK Pavilion being put together by the British Council. My Kolkata caught up with Debanjan Chakrabarti, director of British Council’s operations in East and Northeast India, to know more.
“This year (2024) is significant for the British Council as we complete 75 years in India and Kolkata. We are amongst the oldest international partners for the Boi Mela, and we have been the focal theme country thrice before. This year is extra special, as all four entities within the United Kingdom will be represented,” said Chakrabarti.
The British Council is working closely with the guild to showcase the partnerships created between the two countries in the past 75 years, across the fields of research, innovation, arts, creative economy, literature, and the English language. “Indian students account for the largest number of international students at British campuses,” Chakrabarti said, adding that there will be more emphasis on the connection between education and culture that has brought India and the UK closer.
The UK Pavilion will host some of the best authors and thinkers from the UK
The UK Pavilion hopes to not only create an impact with its contents but also its aesthetics. “There is a small surprise at the heart of the Boi Mela. Kolkata is renowned for incorporating design into its fantastic Durga Puja pandals, and while we can’t give away much, the UK Pavilion will similarly be an attraction worth looking out for. We hope to create quite a buzz,” smiled Chakrabarti.
British high commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, and British Council’s India director Alison Barrett will join chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the festival’s inauguration on January 18. Apart from showcasing UK’s best literary works, the pavilion will host talks and discussions with UK’s most celebrated authors and academics.
January 19, which will be celebrated as the Theme Country UK Day, will kick off with a storytelling session by Michael Wilson, a professor at Loughborough University. “We are so excited to celebrate the day with sessions by two brilliant young women, both of Indian origin. The first is Nandini Das, whose book, Courting India, won the British Academy Book Prize in 2023; and the second is Roma Agrawal, a structural engineer, who was one of the people behind The Shard. Women like them highlight the UK’s incredible diversity. We have also roped in Dr Robert Potts, one of the world’s foremost authorities on artificial intelligence. These talks will continue till January 28,” he added. Readers can even bring their books and get it signed by the authors.
The UK Pavilion will host a brilliant exhibition titled, Future of English, based on academic research conducted globally by the British Council over the past three years. There has been emphasis on making the results from the research accessible through this exhibition to people of all age groups and intellectual interests. “In keeping with the National Education Policy, the purpose is to draw focus on English as not just a language but an integral part of India’s multilingual education,” he added.
In the interest of disseminating knowledge, all the authors and thought leaders arriving in Kolkata won’t just be restricted to the UK Pavilion. The British Council has set up a host of collaborations with multiple events and institutions, including the Kolkata Literary Meet, where many of them will appear as speakers.
In addition to this, the UK Pavilion will host many fun activities like word games, craft sessions and quizzes, with exciting prizes up for grabs. People will also have the chance to register for British Council’s library in Kolkata, which has a staggering 25,000 books. The institution will further open doors to its digital library, which has created a presence in over 100 Indian cities with a plethora of books, journals and films. The Pavilion will also comprise information regarding studying in the UK. “Post-pandemic, we have moved to a blend of physical and digital models of learning. Some of the sessions from the Boi Mela will be recorded and shared digitally. We want to extend the British Council’s vast offering in education, arts and the English language to as many school-going children as possible,” he signed off.
Find a complete list of sessions and activities planned for the UK Pavilion here https://www.britishcouncil.in/events/uk-pavilion-international-kolkata-book-fair-2024.
