Jenny Renton, deputy editor of the esteemed literary journal Edinburgh Review, is yet another casualty of the battle over this year’s book fair. Renton is, however, undeterred and is making the most of her first visit to the city as guest of the British Council, which helped orchestrate the latest issue of Edinburgh Review. It is dedicated entirely to the city of Calcutta, called Calcutta Connects.

It could be the shape of things to come. Edinburgh also happens to be the current holder of Unesco’s City of Literature title, which Calcutta is taking tentative steps towards becoming. The city already has its own place in the world’s culture map, but the official title would confirm its status.

The formal bid will involve not only the city’s intelligentsia, but also the support of the entire city.

“To become a City of Literature is a great rubber stamp of achievement for a city. I hope Calcutta does, and I think that it will become one,” said Renton. “It would really help people from other parts of the world to see Calcutta for what it really is: a highly cultured city that has a very fertile contemporary literary scene and a great literary heritage. The Unesco award would be a great and deserved honour for the city.”

Stressing that the bid is still in its infancy, Debanjan Chakrabarti of British Council said: “Any formal bid will not be made until early 2008. It is a great opportunity for all the literary forces of Calcutta to combine.”

The Calcutta Connects issue of Edinburgh Review features a diverse array of literary talent, including essays by Swapan Chakravorty, Anjum Katyal and Sangeeta Datta. There is poetry and fiction by Rajorshi Chakraborti, Margaret Burnett and Shampa Ray.

“We were originally to have an Indian issue, but a team composed of Calcuttan literary delegates and British Council representatives came to Edinburgh, and we ended up having the most amazing conversations of a serious intellectual quality. In the end, we decided to focus on Calcutta itself,” said Renton.

Founded in 1820, Edinburgh Review swiftly became one of the most respected literary journals in the UK. A combination of literary criticism, fiction and politics, the Review has been noted for the international approach to its content.