Loud, selfie-filled and tippled out, Bengaluru might be known for its parties, but here’s a different, yet ‘wordy’ one – a reading party. Called Graphic Content, this reading party on May 11 at Nicobar will focus on modern Indian graphic novels, a genre that is steadily finding its feet. You can browse through a curated set of interesting work, have your ears piqued by critically-acclaimed graphic novel author Shweta Taneja or simply revel in the words-meets-visual art culture.
“Social gatherings usually come with a tag of anxiety attached to them, or they are anonymous and anonymysing, this is set in a more casual scenario. We might like to read but not find time to do it. This reading party is developed to activate that habit while exploring non-verbal interactions,” says Badri Seetharaman, one of the co-founders of Gathr, a community that orchestrates alternative social experiences, like this one. They’ve had several reading parties in the city before – silent reading parties and one which even involved banned books.
This edition will also see fantasy author Shweta Taneja talk about artistic innovations, themes and provocations that have gone into making the modern Indian comic in the past five years. At a time when everything is online, Shweta finds this concept unique and just what the doctor ordered. “I see them as group aerobic exercises, only for the mind. Instead of getting together for the more conventional evening of party, dancing and drinking, a reading party is a workout for the mind, makes you think unique, introduces you to others who read and their own experiences and makes you explore a new genre of books that you might never come across if you’re doing it alone,” says the author of published novels such as Krishna Defender of Dharma and The Skull Rosary, who will be bringing along some novels from her personal collection as well. She’s doubly excited because she’s a fan of the comics medium and this party is a perfect idea to introduce interested audience to a new genre. “More interested readers means more sales. And that means more talent going into the medium,” she adds.
Considering the intimate number of attendees, city folk are finding it invigorating. “It’s more of an experience than an event,” says Aamna Khan, a product manager from the city. She found that while at most gatherings she picked up skills or had fun, here, she made friends. “It’s especially great for people who aren’t immediately social – you can just curl up in a corner and read and take your time to interact afterwards. The pleasant nature of the places that these parties happen at are another added bonus,” she says.
