Mamata Banerjee’s books a huge hit at book fair

Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee is not only a feisty politician but also a bestselling author. The books of the West Bengal Chief Minister are flying off the shelves at the

47th International Kolkata Book Fair at Boimela Prangan, Salt Lake. Despite her demanding work schedule, Banerjee has consistently prioritised releasing her books at each edition of the Kolkata Book Fair.

This year, seven new additions to Banerjee’s literary repertoire have hit the stalls, including the English translation of her Bengali work ‘Build Heritage of Bengali,’ shedding

light on the heritage structures in the state. Among her latest offerings are the Bengali and English versions of her poetry collection, ‘Kabita Bitan,’ as well as ‘Utsab Sabar,’ ‘Charay Charay Second Volume,’ ‘Laho Pronaam,’ and ‘Trinamool Storey

Trinamooler Joy.’ With these releases, Banerjee now boasts an impressive total of 143 books to her credit.

During the inauguration of this year’s book fair, Banerjee expressed her desire to surpass the milestone of writing 150 books. “Last year, it was 136, and this year, it has reached 143. By next year, I think I will cross 150,” she said.

Banerjee, who published her first book in 1995, has a diverse collection, including eight books in Urdu

and translations in Santhali, Punjabi, and Hindi. At the inauguration, she also gifted British High Commissioner Alex Ellis an English version of ‘Kabita Bitan.’

“Didi’s books are always a favourite at the book fairs. Besides the new releases, her older works like ‘Upalabdhi’ and ‘Anubhuti’ continue to be in high demand. ‘Kabita Bitan’ also enjoys good popularity,” said a member of the Jago Bangla stall.

He further noted that Banerjee’s books for children, particularly her poetry collections, are immensely popular. Also, her works on topics like Duare Sarkar,

Singur, and Durga Puja are selling exceptionally well at the book fair. “I appreciate her books on political protests and human rights violations. I’m really fond of her book on Netai,” said Shyamal Bardhan, a book enthusiast.