On FC Road, which has the latest trends in fashion and lifestyle at the hour, there is a cozy bookstore where the clock seems to have stopped. You may find Book World if you’re looking for it or you may stumble upon it like an unexpected adventure.
The world of books cannot be seen from the road. You have to take the steps directly down to the basement – and open yourself to the magic of the stories. Unlike chain stores filled with merchandise, the focus here is on the written word. Charles Bukowski’s poetry may greet you as you enter, and you’ll meet Nobel laureates Han Kang and Anne Arnaux, as well as RK Laxman, Jhumpa Lahiri and Richard Osman there.
Readers wander the shelves, picking up and reading blurbs and pages before making a decision, just like before books went digital. Debunking the myth about the declining appeal of printed books among young people, Book World is almost always filled with students and young adults.
“Post-Covid, people have shifted to reading print, probably because they are tired of screens. We are surrounded by colleges and youngsters come looking for works of fiction or philosophy,” says Narendra Chandan, founder of the shop. His business model is to focus on the reader and provide classics, literary works and rare titles for the discerning reader.
The story of Book World begins with the Raddi shop run by Chandan’s father Dharsi Chandan on FC Road. In his youth, Chandan saw the demand for second-hand magazines and books among readers. About 45 years ago, he converted that shop into a bookstore.
“Book World opened at its current location in 1996. At that time, Pune bookstores had a counter where people could ask for titles and shop assistants would hand them over. Book World decided to bring people into the shop so they could go around and buy books,” Chandan says.
He also maintains variety and quality in quantity, giving cerebral work a better performance than a trending bestseller. Many out-of-print books are also painstakingly curated for resources and readers. Book World also has a policy of maintaining a well-stocked vintage book section, which is a hit with student readers on a budget.
E-commerce is a big challenge for standalone, old-school bookstores like Book World. Online shopping has created a buying behavior in which readers find a title in a store, check the price online, where discounts are higher, and prefer to buy online rather than from a store. Bookworld’s engaging book-buying experience brought bookstores into hard times in 2014. Chandan decided to clear the stock and pull the shutters. However, readers opposed the move and encouraged Chandan to persist.
Covid came with a twist to the story and, even as many small businesses sank, the demand for books was seen to increase. Book World was getting constant calls and deliveries were going out all over the city. Chandan says, “After that, people started coming to the shop.
Jugal Chandan, son of the owner, is now planning the next chapter of the store. “There are challenges but we will always have a good collection of books, including titles you won’t find anywhere else,” he says.
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