Heading home

After a successful NLS "gig", Kevin and I are heading for home tomorrow. Kevin's talk, "Kolkata Curiosities" went really well at the Book Fair yesterday, and despite me having a rotten cold, I managed to get through my talk at the NLI this afternoon. The assembled librarians were quite a shy bunch, so not many questions, but all contributions were very positive. The NLI director K. K. Banerjee was there (as was ours - Martyn Wade arrived safely this morning) and it all looks very promising for partnerships between our two national libraries. I was interviewed for TV, too (what with the paparazzi earlier in the week and now this, it's quite gone to my head).

Edinburgh's going to seem very strange when we get back.

Malaria capers...

I should mention that yesterday we paid homage to the Scot Sir Ronald Ross, who of course proved the link between anopheles mosquitoes and the transmission of the malaria virus. This plaque is in the grounds of a Calcutta hospital, on the spot where Ross's laboratory stood. We took along the Malaria Giant Microbe to visit his nemesis!

Kolkata update

After several attempts at another post late last night (problems with internet connections)I gave up, so here I go again – fingers crossed.
I want to mention the marvellous British Council staff, who are unflaggingly generous, kind, and fixers of the highest order. They also do a rather good blog. Edd McCracken of the Sunday Herald, also did a blog and the Book Fair will be featured in the paper this Sunday, though I’m sure Edd’s got enough material to get a series going.
It’s difficult to keep track of everything we’re doing here. (I'm afraid I spent a whole day with a, er, tummy bug, and lay around feeling faint like a Victorian memsahib). As a result I was disappointed to miss tea at the Governor's residence.
The visit to the Scottish Cemetery was a highlight; we hope that the efforts by RCAHMS and the Kolkata Scottish Kolkata Heritage Trust to restore it will bear fruit.
A talk by Lord Bruce on Scots and India was very well received, and he was followed by the very learned Prof. Barun De, who revealed that he is a great fan of the NLS. He reminisced fondly about his visits there in 1957.
Later, we visited the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, and watched a workshop where rural artists are given a chance to raise themselves above the poverty line. They do some beautiful work, and we were particularly struck by the similarity of the painted scrolls they produce and one we have in NLS which dates back to 1788.

Book Fair begins... kind of

Still the building work continues, but the Fair goes on for another couple of weeks yet, so they've got time.
Kevin and I bought some books for the NLS, including one on the development of vaccines. We don't want to weigh down our suitcases, but as we are leaving behind what feels like several kilos of NLS leaflets, then we should be OK!

After our welcome by the Mayor on Monday (previous post) we were given a walking tour of Dalhousie Square which is being renovated. Naively, I thought it was being pedestrianised, but in fact the police were holding back a huge build up of traffic for us. All along our route we were assailed by photographers; this happens everywhere we go, and they are now referred to as the Book Fair paparazzi.
Then on to St Andrew's Church (established 1818), for a lighting ceremony by the Governor of Bengal (high security throughout), followed by a church service, more tea and refreshments (always on offer here), and then back to the hotel. By this time, Kevin and I were zombie-like after missing a whole night's sleep travelling the previous day.

We spent the next morning at the Scottish Cemetery (see the RCAHMS blog link for more information) and also Park Street Cemetery, but that's another posting...

O Calcutta!

Kevin Halliwell (Foreign Collections) and I are at the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair, where Scotland is the theme country. Everyone has been so charming, and the Scottish delegation (including Sir Andrew Cubie, Lord Charles Bruce, Alexander McCall Smith and the British Council staff), were welcomed and presented with bouquets of flowers at the impressive and historical City Council Chambers (pictured).
The Book Fair itself is open but there was still a lot of building of stalls going on when we left at 6.30 today - including a mini White House for the U.S. pavilion, with cut-out Obama figure!
We've had a hectic couple of days, so more reports and pictures later.