Growing up doesn’t essentially have to be about quitting your belief in fairies and angels; especially not if you live in namma ooru because there is a new set of fairies, fluttering around, all over the city with a mission to hide books, only for us to find them!
They call themselves the Book Fairies, and for good reason too. Now, with over a 100 countries involved in spreading the love for books, the initiative was first started by Cordelia Oxley, in London. Actress Emma Watson brought light to the movement when she was spotted hiding a book during Women’s Day last year, and that’s when the project gained momentum.
“People aren’t visiting libraries anymore and the idea to inculcate the habit of indulging in paper and ink is what spurred the initiative in the first place,” relays Namita Nafri, a corporate employee who had started the entire project’s Bengaluru chapter in April. “Anybody with a good collection of books can become a book fairy,” she adds. “From shops that offer to give up their old classics to book-hoarding worms who want to spread the love of reading — all they have to do is order the official Book Fairy stickers from our website, stick it upon the books and hide it in a place to be found!”
Be it their own love for books, or the inherent need they feel within themselves to help fellow Bengalureans go back to their roots and re-inculcate the habit of reading, the Book Fairies work further towards changing people’s mindset when it comes to viable media of literature. “No matter how anonymous we try to stay, we want our books to be readily available. It’s the passion for good literature that binds us all!” says Rio Kashyap, a dentist book fairy.
From themed cafes to the scenic landscape of Cubbon Park and the British Council Library, the fairies are out and about to sprinkle city dwellers with their fairy dust in the form of books. “July 1 was our joint book hiding day with the Fairy team from Delhi, but otherwise, we go on hiding sprees whenever it is convenient for us. We post a picture on our social media, and right from the initial day, the response has been overwhelming,” laughs Shravya S who is a student at Christ University.
The young Sanchin Jerry George is an avid traveller who believes the love of reading has and must get around like his own free spirit. “Books are meant to be adopted and adored; hence we hide them in places that have an aesthetic value to them.” From what started as just an urge to surprise people with books, the Book Fairies have grown in strength and demand over a matter of only few months. “We don’t have any bars regarding who can or cannot be a Book Fairy, As long as you want to share and are equally passionate about books and reading, you’re welcome,” he adds.
