‘There is no end to Giggles’

Remember Giggles ‘the biggest little bookshop’ run by Nalini Chettur? In 2016, Giggles was in the news. Book-loving hearts in Chennai sank at reports that the bookshop is being shut down.

But the end did not come. She continued to keep a steady hand on the tiller, and run 100 sq.ft. shop at Vivanta by Taj — Connemara. But this time, dame luck seems less intent on smiling on her and her brainchild. When this reporter visited Nalini, she was as sitting outside her bookshop, as usual. As always, she is wearing a classic printed sari and a sleeveless blouse. And, of course, she is wearing her spirit of resilience.

She is sitting surrounded by piles of rubble and plumes of dust. The hotel is undergoing a major renovation. There is still a steady stream of visitors.

The collection of books at Giggles has noticeably come down, though. The books occupy only one-fourth of the space. The December 2015 floods almost submerged the store.

“Giggles is not dying! I am vacating the shop in one or two months and moving to a new address,” she clarifies, while sipping her evening tea. She now has a new vision for Giggles. “I plan to organise a small book exhibition every week, probably during weekends, in various parts of the city. I will also take orders from people,” she says. Nalini says she does not want a permanent place for Giggles. “I am just looking for a place in and around Nungambakkam, which can serve as as my accommodation and a space to store my books.”