The lost books

In places like Urdu Bazaar Karachi, what used to be bookstalls on the street are now carts to buy stationary

Tromso, a city in Northern Norway, lies nearly 300km north of the Arctic Circle. With its long winter and polar nights, it is popular among those who want to see the Northern Lights. But it’s not just the Northern Lights that Tromso is all about. The city is home to the world’s northernmost university, The University of Tromso, with strong research programmes in not just arctic research but also biotechnology and medicine and a public health programme that focuses on the health of the Sami people, the indigenous population of the Arctic.

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in this Arctic city. I also got to learn, from the Rector of the University, Professor Kenneth Ruud, about how a place as distant and remote as Tromso continues to be a strong leader in education, research and excellence in teaching. But as I walked through the snow-clad roads of the city, in what seems like a perpetual evening with little light, I was struck by the deep love for reading and all things related to books. There were several bookstores, peppered throughout the main road, sometimes even facing each other. The customers represented age groups from those who did not yet know how to walk to those who could walk no longer. The bookstores selling antique and old books was on the next street and there were additional bookstores in the mall, just a few hundred feet from the main street. But the most impressive part of the book culture of Tromso was the breathtaking modern glass structure, in the middle of the town: the public library that was open till 11 for the book lovers of the city.

Having been in Pakistan a week earlier, the contrast could not be more striking. The Scandinavian countries are well known for the love of the outdoors and the focus on clean, well-organised cities, but I did not expect a relatively small town, north of the Arctic, to have such a strong commitment to reading and all things related to books. As I waited for the public library to open in Tromso on Saturday morning in sub-zero temperature, I was in line with bundled up but excited children, holding the gloved hands of their parents, eagerly waiting for the front door to open. The children’s section of the library is particularly impressive and designed to inculcate a deep love for the written word. When I was in Pakistan in December and January, every child and teenager I spoke to, had no idea what a public library is. Perhaps, my sampling was too small, but I was deeply disturbed to see that our children are denied by us the sheer pleasure of going to a library.

The story with the disappearing bookstores in Pakistan is also not a pretty one. The argument that most books are now available online, and hence the bookstores have little purpose, is a lousy one. First, the number of books in Urdu that are available for e-readers is minuscule. Second, the books that have been scanned and available to download are part of an illegal operation that undercuts authors and creativity, and results in a poor quality product. Third, the purpose of library and bookstores is not just to get a specific book, but to browse and have the opportunity to learn about something different from what was originally intended.

Even in places like the Urdu Bazaar Karachi, what used to be bookstalls on the street are now carts to buy stationery in bulk. Long gone are the days of books being sold on the footpath, where you would find a dusty old gem. The ability to go inside a store and browse has all but disappeared. The booksellers, who once used to be avid readers, now have no clue about authors or the contents of the books.

A town way up in the Arctic tells us that better choices can be made, and have been made, even in places that are dark and frigid. As a Nordic friend mentioned, a book lights up the soul and keeps you warm, even when nature doesn’t.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2016.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.