Delhi youth brings by-the-kg book fair to Guwahati

GUWAHATI: The best-selling books sold at per kg price in Delhi’s Daryaganj Sunday Book Market, one of the biggest book markets in Delhi, are now up for grabs in a first-of-its-kind mini book fair in the city where many book lovers are relishing the fact that books are being weighed and sold.
A group of Delhi youths led by tutor-turned-entrepreneur from the capital, Tarun Yadav, has ventured out of Delhi with the same books available at Daryaganj market, to make reading a joyful experience but affordable at the same time.
Ferried in trains, about eight tonnes of books, all imported, have been decked up in Silpukhuri Rajahuwa Namghar (prayer hall) at 50% to 70% discount that has amazed book enthusiasts. All books are imported through Indian suppliers who bring the books in containers in ships mostly from the UK. The wide genre of books, from classic novels to children’s books, are non-academic.
“Our journey from Guwahati is special. It’s the first city in the northeast from where our organisation — Bookish Santa — is hopeful of continuing the never-ending journey aimed at promoting reading in our country. Before this, our first book fair in Kolkata was an experiment but quite successful,” Tarun told TOI from the busy counter set up at the namghar entrance.
The book fair that kicked off on Friday without any grand inauguration has found many takers as the namghar has been a roadside landmark in the posh area of Silpukhuri here. It will continue till May 21.
“Our book fair at Shyambazar in Kolkata was a hit with Rs 10 lakh transaction in just four days. We are planning to go to Kolkata again in December,” Tarun said. He said their next venue is Shillong, the Scotland of the East, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the northeast.
Dhanashree Kalita, a buyer, felt flabbergasted to pick up 11 kg of book at Rs 3,750. She shared half of the book load with her husband. “The price of books that we bought ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 350 per kg, depending upon binding, quality, book title and genre. It’s a unique experience to get a chance to buy the best-selling books per kg, which is quite affordable compared to buying individual books,” she said.
Tarun, a graduate from Delhi University, bid adieu to teaching students which was his bread and butter. The journey is significant for him and his 40-member team in a challenging time when many believe that ebooks or digital books have threatened the future of print.
“The future of physical books is bright. Reviews from others say people are slowly shifting towards printed books because of the feel of folding a book and smelling the pages. It fascinates,” he said. “Business is not our primary goal but to inculcate reading culture is. We spent years at Daryaganj Sunday Book Market and from there clicked on the idea to make second hand books available to readers in different parts of the country in bulk,” he added.