Reading culture flourishes in Pokhara

By Santosh Subedi,Pokhara, Sept. 19: Writer Sarubhakta is presently engaged in reading the Nepali book 'Samaya Sunami' by the late Krishnachandra Pradhan, as well as Kazantzakis' English work 'Zorba the Greek'.

He enjoys reading books of every genre. According to him, literature belongs to everyone, which is why even reputed and active figures of the nation read books both new and canonical. He further added that reading culture is gradually developing in Nepal as well.

“In the past, very few people were interested in literature. Many did not even consider it necessary to read literature. In recent times, not only here but also in major cities of the country, a reading culture has developed. This process is gradually increasing,” he said. However, he also analysed that the enthusiasm for reading has not yet reached the level it ideally should.

There was a time when huge stacks of newspapers could be found at Gorakhapatra Baje’s shop in Mahendrapul, Pokhara. People who went there would buy and read newspapers. They kept themselves updated about events happening across the country through those papers. With the rise of social media and information technology, the number of people going to newspaper stalls has been decreasing.

 Most readers now learn about new books through social media and bookshops. From senior to younger generations, many people who have developed the habit of reading can still be found at bookshops.

As the reading habit grew, new bookshops also began to open. The development of reading habits among Pokhara residents has helped the book business to flourish.

Furthermore, many cafés now attract crowds of people who enjoy reading books with their coffee. Bijay Bhandari, the proprietor of Himalayan Readers Corner in Pokhara, said that the number of readers has remained relatively stable.

“The situation of book reading is the same as it used to be. There is a group of people who buy books and also read them while enjoying coffee at the shop. Among youths, English books are more popular,” he said. He added that novels, short stories, and autobiographies of famous personalities are in great demand.

To coincide with Dashain, Readers Corner Pokhara has started a fair on Wednesday, focusing on readers who are interested in reading culture.

 As in previous years, this year too, special Dashain discounts are being offered on books, said proprietor Bhandari. 

According to him, there will be a 10 per cent discount on purchases up to Rs. 1,999, a 15 per cent discount on purchases between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 3,499, and a 20 per cent discount on purchases between Rs. 3,500 and Rs. 4,999. In addition, some books will have discounts of up to 50 per cent as well, he added.

Pokhara has many senior as well as younger writers. People from youth to the elderly love reading books.

Many expressed that direct interactions with authors have made reading culture more popular in Pokhara. Around 2001, writer Ganesh Poudel conceived the idea of running a cafe to systematise the reading habit in Pokhara. It started as the Readers Cafe in the form of a restaurant. The idea was to develop a reading habit along with the sip of coffee. It ran quite well for some time, but things did not turn out exactly as envisioned.

In 2008, on the occasion of Guru Purnima, Poudel established the Random Readers Society of Nepal. He recalled that the institution was set up purely to develop the reading habit. That same year in Asar (June- July), the series began with Krishna Dharabasi’s novel ‘Tudal,’ and now it has reached its 119th session.

The society organises literary book discussions on the last Saturday of every month.

According to its former president, Rupindra Prabhavi, this has inspired readers to engage with books. 

“The monthly intellectual discussions related to books have cultivated a mindset that one must read,” he said. It has been observed that the sales of books discussed in these sessions also increase.