Kolkata book fair to focus on improving India-US ties

Kolkata, Jan 26 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Pulitzer award-winning American novelist Richard Ford inaugurated the 35th Kolkata Book Fair here on Tuesday.

The 12-day long fair is likely to act as a perfect platform to further strengthen Indo-US cultural ties.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Bhattacharjee said the book fair would give more opportunities to book lovers to read American literature.

"What I have heard from the organisers about the Book Fair is that around 522 stalls have been set up apart from the small magazines stalls. Truly, the 12-day long book fair will attract more people than I believe, and I also believe that more books would be sold," he added.

US Ambassador Timothy Roemer also attended the function.

This is Ford's first visit to Kolkata and he said it was "an honour" for him to be present at the Kolkata Book Fair, where the US had been chosen as the theme country. The author referred to Rabindranath Tagore several times during his address.

The book fair would continue till February 6. (ANI)