KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is all set to be one of the star attractions at the 36th International Kolkata Book Fair starting on January 24, with three of her books slated for release at the annual event.
Two of the books are in Bengali and have been published by Deys Publishing. While ‘Kobita’ is a compilation of her poems, ‘Poriborton’ traces her life from her college days till the historic decimation of 34 years of Left Front in the Assembly elections of 2011. “Poriborton traces her political career till she became the Chief Minister,” said spokesperson of Deys Publishing and ground convener of the Kolkata Book Fair, Sudhangshu Shekhar Dey.
The third book is Mamata’s memoirs titled ‘My Unforgettable Memories’ published by Roli Books. The third book shows the quirky, naughty and often philosophical side of the TMC chief, while throwing light on her equation with late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The book is the first English translation based on her writings in Bengali. As one of the best-selling author for Deys Publishing, Mamata’s books are set to attract the most attention from book fair patrons. “We are hoping to see good sales of Didi’s books. These are her first books that are being launched after she won the state elections, so there is a lot of excitement surrounding them,” added Dey.
Deys has sold books worth Rs 10 lakh written by Mamata and paid her Rs 1 lakh in royalty last year. Deys has been Didi’s publisher since 1995 with ‘Upalabdhi’, a book on political essays, the second book was on poetry called ‘Maa’. Mamata already has 27 books to her credit, but the release of these three books is sure to capture the fancy of book lovers, say book fair organisers.