Book stores in the capital have been diminishing for the past few decades, however, some cafes are vying to keep the art of reading alive. PHOTO: HUMA CHOUDHARY/EXPRESS
The capital has changed a lot in the past 10 years. More restaurants, more clothing and shoe stores, the addition of two indoor malls, and a cinema too! But old Islamabad seems to have disappeared amid this modernisation.
The city once focused on the simple pleasures of life --- rain, tea, crinkle-cut French fries from Super Market or Jinnah Super, and buying books from various old book stores. Not only has the trend changed, but a rather unfortunate reality is that the bookstores have begun disappearing, and even the surviving ones are hard to locate for some.
Raees Ahmad of Old Book Collection in Jinnah Super, while lamenting how sales have decreased over the years, said people aged between 12 and 30 are his main target market. “They buy all kinds of books, ranging from fantasy and fiction to horror and humour. It is pleasing to see parents bringing their children and encouraging them to buy books, but that number is also decreasing,” he said.
Rehman Mani, who has been operating London Book Co since early days of Islamabad told The Express Tribune that younger people used to regularly buy books for pleasure reading, but now they have other entertainment options. “They like to spend their cash on food instead of books. This is unfortunate because our nation is in the hands of a generation that believes in spending on food for the body, and not on food for soul,” he added.
“Sales have decreased massively in the past 10 years. The 70 per cent drop shows a change in reading culture. Nowadays parents focus on textbooks rather than storybooks. This could be because of increasing living expenses or the fact that they do not see the merits of reading books. Children must be encouraged to read from an early stage,” said Tahir Naeem of Mr Books in Super Market.
Genuine book readers are still on the lookout for interesting reads. “I regularly visit bookstores. Sometimes before visiting one, I research and decide what books to buy. Otherwise I just go and skim through several books and pick whatever seems interesting,” said Mohsin Saifullah, a federal government officer in Islamabad.
Despite the situation, there have been some positive sparks, via cafes. Chaaye Khana in Super Market has collaborated with Liberty Books and has an aura that encourages reading, while the most recent addition to Islamabad’s book-reading café’s is Book Bistro by London Book Store.
For many, cool restaurants and cafes that attract youngsters may be the definition of progress and modernisation. But we cannot deny the fact that modernity comes from the mind, which cannot be achieved if one is not well read.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2015.
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