Lakshmi Mitter
"Think not of the books you've bought as a "to be read" pile. Instead, think of your bookcase as a wine cellar. You collect books to be read at the right time, the right place, and the right mood." - Luc Van Donkersgoed.
I wish I had read that quote before I attended the Neev Literature Fest 2024 over the weekend. I would have bought more books! :)) The fest was an absolute treat! It is not often that you encounter so many readers in one spot, attending author interactions, waiting in queues with bubbling excitement to meet their favorite authors and having their newly bought copy signed, making multiple visits to the bookstore simply because it was a magnet that kept pulling you over and over again.
At the book store
There is a sense of joy to see another reader engrossed in a book and looking obviously lost in a different world, oblivious of the fact that there is another reader standing close by, wanting to reach out for a book without a sound or touch. It is a holy space of sorts and a simple "excuse me" could shatter that moment of calm the reader was experiencing with the book. I waited. Then I realized that its going to take some time and resolved to come back later. I found another corner to be in my holy space of calm with a book in my hand that appeared to be a promising read. Decision time...the world around me didn't matter. All that mattered was the book in hand, Zen by Shabnam Minwala.
Having chosen my pile of books which included this amazing book, I marched to the billing counter, promising myself that my book purchases were done. As I waited for my turn, books in others' hands seemed to be calling out. Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka was on top of someone's pile. Phew! No, for another time. I have bought enough, I told myself. Just then I saw a starry eyed child with a pile of beautiful books on animals. She was all smiles and the father beamed as he said, she loves animals. Another two children came asking for directions to the author signing station. They wanted to get there before it was too late.
With a bag full of books and feeling amazing seeing my long TBR, my exciting day wasn't over yet. There sat one of my favorite children's book authors, Asha Nehemiah signing books for children who were in cloud number nine seeing their favorite author. I became a child myself and went up to her and said, "It is so good to see you in person!" Happy memories of having her at the Young Readers' Club came back to me. Child like excitement swept over me and I forgot to tell her my name to help her recollect that wonderful time! She of course remembered her interaction with the children at the Young Readers' Club and it was the best moment of the day!
Time to wrap up all the joy- but thank God for that TBR- did I think that too soon? There was more!
The delightful weekend concluded with an amazing play based on Amitav Ghosh's book Jungle Nama.
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