Mr Books: capital’s keeper of manuscripts

Tribute paid to late owner of iconic bookstore

ISLAMABAD: Like the Pak Tea House in Lahore and Coffee House in Karachi, Mr Books in Islamabad became a hub for intellectuals and activists. In more modern times, it provided a sanctuary to the printed word under assault from the digital age.

Muhammad Yusuf, the owner of the bookstore Mr Books in the Sector F-6 Super Market, passed away on September 4, much to the grief of book lovers across the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. A condolence reference was held in his honour at the Lok Virsa’s Media Centre on Friday.

Speakers paid tributes to Yusuf for his tremendous services for preserving literature and history in the heart of the nation’s capital.

“Yusuf had a versatile personality as he was known as a book lover who created a platform in the heart of the capital in the form of Mr Books, which he transformed into a hub for intellectual as well as political activists,” said Pakistan Academy of Letters Chairman Professor Dr Qasim Bughio.

Poet and columnist Muhammad Izharul Haq termed Yusuf’s passing a “great trauma” for those who love books and have a habit of reading books.

“He was an architect of culture. He was from those lucky few who were associated with such a sacred profession,” Haq reminisced.

Lok Virsa Executive Director Dr Fauzia Saeed, while expressing her grief over Yusuf’s passing, said that he had left a big gap in Islamabad.

“We are fortunate to have had someone like him who inculcated a love for books,” she said.

“We will always cherish what Yusuf created with his sheer dedication and love for reading. As an author, I know how he treated the writers and trained his staff to keep learning about each book. As a person he was one in a million,” the Lok Virsa official said.

Yusuf lived in the world of books and invited people to take a peek into his world, recalled writer Amaar Masood.

Writer Farnood Alam said that Yusuf was not only a trader of books, but also a scholar.

“He was a successful businessman, but he knew how good the book was,” he said.

He added that Mr Books was the primary spot for scholars to sit, talk and argue about aspects of theology, literature, history, philosophy and politics.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2017.