The 42nd edition of the North Bengal Book Fair, the annual fest for bibliophiles and the second largest book fair in the state after Calcutta, will begin at the Kanchenjunga Stadium Mela Ground in Siliguri on Friday.

The book fair will continue till December 15.

“The book fair is an annual attraction for book lovers. This year, we are expecting a huge turnout. Organisers will allow students free entry and offer them a special rebate on the purchase of books,” Gautam Deb, the mayor and chief adviser to the event, said on Thursday.

The fair is being hosted by the Greater Siliguri Publishers and Booksellers Welfare Association. Renowned publishing houses like the Ananda Publishers, Penguin and Oxford will come up with stalls at the fair.

Madhusudan Sen, the joint convener of the organising committee, said that 94 stalls would be set up this year.

“Last year, there were 74 stalls and books worth ₹5 crore were sold at the fair. This year, we expect the sale figures to increase,” he said.

He said that through the event, they would pay homage to thespian Manoj Mitra, who died on November 12, by dedicating the dais for cultural events after him.

“We will also reintroduce the ‘Uttarbanga Smwarak Samman’, an award that will be conferred to a person for his or her contribution to the cultural field. This is the first time after the Covid-19 pandemic that we will give away the award,” Sen added.