For the ‘readers’ who had assembled at the British Council Library on Sunday, the books they were about to go through were of the human variety.

The experience, facilitated by the Human Library, Chennai, enabled these readers to listen to stories from 10 humans. In small groups, the participants were given about 30 minutes with each ‘human book’ and through the session, got to listen to four of them share their stories and interact with them.

“By bringing together people from different walks of life to narrate their stories of how they have overcome stigma, prejudices and stereotypes, we want the readers to widen their perspective. Our goal is not to preach, but to create awareness and acceptance,” said K.V. Sailakshmi, founder, Human Library, Chennai.

A group of young college students listened intently as Bharaa Mayuraa, a transwoman spoke about how education equipped her, and how acceptance matters in society. Thirupurasundari Sevvel, an architect and researcher, recalled various instances about being questioned about her choices and the stereotyping women face. In another corner of the room, several young readers listened intently as a cancer survivor spoke about the important role art played in his life.

Strikes a chord

“The human books struck a chord with me as they were inspirational and their experiences were relatable. When you feel alone sometimes, you tend to connect with books over anything else and this experience was similar,” said Prathiksha Ravi, a participant reader.

Shreeja Kumar, another reader, said that being able to interact with the ‘author’ of the stories as a part of the ‘human book’ experience made it all the more personal and engaging. “For many of us, the experiences that were shared were eye-openers. Gender-based discrimination and society as well as how to face life after a loss were some of the stories I listened to and the discussions that followed were enriching,” said Chinni Krishnan, a participant reader.

Janaka Pushpanathan, director, British Council, South India, said they aimed to connect people with ideas and encourage diverse, thought-provoking discussions.