Bengaluru: Having trouble reading? There may be just the right solution for you, which is neither a therapy nor an exercise, but a never before tried concept in the city. Get ready to be surprised as there is a “Human Library” on the way that allows a reader to pick a copy of a “book,” which is neither a paperback nor a hard cover, but a human being with a story to tell.
Already in vogue in 70 countries and in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai , Chennai and Hyderabad in India, the Human Library is making its way for the first time to Bengaluru, where it plans to return annually.
The concept is about two decades old and originated in Copenhagen. It functions like a regular library, complete with a selection of “topics” and a “librarian” and even allows the “human books” to be loaned out to readers for about half an hour.
It may sound like a fun weekend activity, but it is more than that, says Roshini Ross, an advertising professional , who is the brain behind the Bengaluru chapter along with Ria Andrews, also in advertising. Others involved are Anurag Nair, a research assistant and founder of Queer Campus, Shrishti Shrivastava, a digital marketing manager and Deepika Singhania, a storyteller.
The “human book” Roshini explains, speaks of whatever is dear to him or her for about half an hour and the “reader” gets to pick the “book” depending on the subject listed against it.
“It is a space which allows people to express themselves. For the readers it is about finding a personal connection similar to the one they would have when picking up a real book. A book you pick may be read by a thousand other people and is written by someone else. But that doesn’t stop you from having a moment with it. A set- up like this also allows people to have a moment, but only with someone else, who has a story to tell,” she says.
The “human books” go through a strict screening process before they are added to the “library.”
“The conversations are mostly about the society we live in today, about social issues that we are still unsure of like say transgender folk, acid attacks and their victims, homophobia and discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community. But we vet the stories before they are added to the list. Everyone’s story is worth telling, but some more than others,” Roshini goes on, adding, “This is a minute step towards what can be done, but it is important nonetheless. It gives an opportunity to people to empathise and learn more about a host of issues.” The library is putting together a session in the city soon. “We have quite a good number of books,” but we are still screening some more and will be hosting a session some time in the next few weeks,” she concludes.
