Some open, others sceptical about e-books

Hyderabad: Ernest Hemingway had once said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” And on World Books Day, perhaps reflecting on the emotion of collectively preserving the essence of reading and writing, the people of Hyderabad aspire to keep the stories they read, alive.

For a year now Our Sacred Space in Secunderabad has been running a unique book sharing initiative called ‘Read and Exchange’. Anyone is free to drop by and donate a book they have enjoyed reading, and take back a book in return.

Nayantara Nandakumar, founder of Our Sacred Space, says, “Often we read a book only once and then it’s left on the shelves. By exchanging, more people get the chance to read one book and it is also good for the environment.”

Basabdutta Talukdar of Literary, Intellectual & Cultural Hub (LICH) of Hyderabad, which has over 1,000 members, feels that the number of public libraries, which are user friendly and accessible to children, has drastically reduced.

Speaking of the group’s plans this World Books Day, she says, “We intend to spend the special day by revisiting our favourite books. What French Literature Nobel laureate, Franois Mauriac, had said, ‘Tell me what you read and I’ll tell you who you are’, is true enough, but I’d know you better if you told me what you re-read.”

As a multi-cultural city, Hyderabad is also slowly opening up to the world of e-books.

Shravanti Taluri, a software engineer with IBM, who runs a writing club called ‘Write Club’, says, “As a group, we frequently resort to hard copies when it comes to classics but we  often do access the works of contemporary authors online.”

Ms Basabdutta on the other hand feels that nothing can replace the experience of a physical book, which connects through multiple senses.  

Rasana Atreya, a self-published author, says, “There is certainly a lack of awareness about e-books, but at the same time, people read articles online, which is a step in the right  direction.”