The 45th International Kolkata Book Fair will begin on January 30 amid strict COVID-19 safety measures, officials said on Tuesday.
It will be an open congregation that will be held in Central Park in Salt Lake in view of the pandemic, they sad.
Mask will be mandatory for visitors and participants, officials said after a meeting at the state secretariat with the organisers -- the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild.
The number of bookstalls would remain the same but their size would be reduced, they added.
"There will be an opportunity for book lovers to see and buy books outside the stalls to ensure social distancing," an official said.
Around 580 publishers and booksellers participate in the book fair, touted to be the biggest in the world in terms of footfall, according to industry sources.
The book fair will continue till February 13 and the theme country will be Bangladesh to mark the birth centenary of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee year of its independence.
The eighth Kolkata Literature Festival would also be held at Central Park alongside the fair.
The book fair was not held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
