SSHH... let’s read

CHENNAI: Every Saturday morning, as soon as dawn breaks, you can find Swetha Mohan diligently lay out a handful books in the middle of Anna Nagar Tower Park. She then sits down on the sheets she’d spread, takes out a book and reads in silence for the next two hours, guiding other book lovers. To curious passers-by who want to know about what’s happening, she’d say, “We’re just reading books, anyone can join us for free!” and get back to helping new arrivals with books, serving hot soup and snacks once in a while.

This is what a typical Silent Reading session, by Swetha’s Little Love Library, feels like — early morning reading in the middle of nature. Swetha was inspired to start Silent Reading s e s s i o n s wh e n another Chennai book group, the B r o k e Bibliophiles C h e n n a i chapter, organised a public reading session at the beach. “Staying in Anna Nagar, I felt there was no way I could go that far,” she says and that is when the idea to start sessions in Anna Nagar’s own nature oasis, Tower Park, struck her.

She just grabbed a few books, laid out a sheet in the park, set out the books and...no one turned up. “I realised we hadn’t put up a banner so no one knew what we were up to! After that day, I made a cloth banner and have used that very same till now,” she says. Come rain or shine, the silent reading sessions take place every Saturday. “Even during rains, we go to a shed in the park,” she quips, and if she’s absent on some occasions, her friends help conduct it.

Since it began last June, over 34 sessions have been conducted so far. You would think that waking up at 6 am on a Saturday will be enough to put off any ardent bibliophile, but many regulars are nothing but enthusiastic. “I am not a morning person, to be honest. But reading about Swetha’s post after every Saturday session last December, inspired me to join and since then I come here regularly,” says Amritha Prem, a blogger, who comes for the session from Purasawalkam.

Based on a theme

The Silent Reading Sessions at the amphitheatre every Saturday have a theme each week. This Saturday
(Jan 27), the theme will be mythology.

The Little Love library also conducts storytelling sessions and book review sessions during weekends, with snacks and tea afterward. Swetha is planning to conduct organised book reviews with Tamil books, poetry, short stories and English books every consecutive weekend. No rules apply. To get updates about their events, follow their Facebook Page ‘Little Love library’, or call Swetha at 91768 81481