This Bookstore Hopes to Revive Reading Culture in City

Hyderabad: A tiny bookstore nestled in the quiet corners of the busy IT corridor, is slowly but surely help reviving the dying culture of reading in the city, even without claiming to do so. Called the Luna Bookstore on Rd no 63, the cost corner with the choicest books are a haven for those looking for a diverse range of books.

Close to 9 months young, the place has already become the favourite spot for book lovers who have been talking about it and recommending it to more bibliophiles. "We have been doing very well, in terms of the number of people finding us and them finding what they want. We didn't know what to expect, when we opened the store, but are pleased and touched by the response. Gives us hope that we're headed in the right direction," said Shilpa Sudhakar, owner of the store.

On reading being a dying art, she was quick to say that it's mostly a solitary activity and while there's no way to tell how many others are reading, making it more active and helping it grow is a responsibility they're enjoying shouldering. "It would be arrogant to claim we're doing anything big enough to 'revive' the culture of reading in the city, because I believe it was always there and different readers need different sources and more independent book stores help offer that diversity. We do get a few young people who say they are starting out and ask for recommendations, but that's still a small number," she told DC.

According to Sudhakar, their uniqueness lies in their curation. "We have nobody to tell us what books to have or read and they're purely chosen by us. We're trying to keep it diverse for and have a growing selection of children's books, fiction and non-fiction. Our focus is perhaps on finding books that are not well known but deserve to be. So it's not just the hot books of the moment that we go by but also books that we know people will endure over time," she shared.

The store recently opened up its space for an evening of light music by classical singer Harini Rao under the aegis of Urban Baithak. On whether they'd have more of such shows, she said that they did want a connection with local artistes, which also reflects in the books they have by local artists and ones that have a local relevance, but they're not looking to commercialise the same. "Being the family-run store, we are not driven by events that are commercial, but might open doors for what excites us, especially if the space would be of benefit to local art in the form of music, paintings, poetry, etc. It might evolve over time," she said.

On what they would consider their USP, Shilpa said that they are a comfortable and inviting space for people looking to explore their shelves, a place where one can strike up a conversation about books with perfect strangers about a book or anything under the sun.