The publishing industry was going through a tough time already with the lockdown, and it has to now deal with Amphan’s effect on publishing.
When cyclone Amphan hit Kolkata on 20th May, it further aggravated the woes of the book industry. For book lovers, it is heartbreaking to see beloved Boi Para, a.k.a., College Street, which is the largest book market of the city and known to booklovers across the country, drenched in water, and literary material being lost in front of our eyes.
It is a grave situation for booksellers and publishers of Kolkata, causing loss in lakhs of rupees as books, paper, and other materials were destroyed, and may have incalculable long-term effects on the book industry in general.
Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay, President of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, issued a notice addressing the situation, and announced that relief funds will be shortly organised to mitigate Amphan’s effect on publishing at large.
Chattopadhyay also shared devastating pictures of his own factory, given below, and showroom which are knee-deep in water, showing the grim condition of publishers and the effect of Amphan.
You can help too
The publishers guild has set up a relief fund to help the Amphan-affected College street, for both publishers and booksellers. Donate what you can, each little sum will go a long way in the collective efforts to help Kolkata’s book industry, among the most illustrious in our Indian literary landscape. It’s a heritage we just cannot afford to lose.
You can also help in these effort to mitigate Amphan’s effect on publishing by spreading the word. You can use the images below for the same. They are downloadable on all devices.
A little amount will go a long way in helping rebuild the book paradise that this was.
Students and organizations across Kolkata are working towards the same.
If you have queries write to either prakruti@purplepencilproject.com or jessica@purplepencilproject.com and we will reach out to the right people to have them answered.
