Shelf Life with Mid-day: Fort’s old bookstore at Flora fountain serves as a book lover’s paradise in Mumbai

In the digital age of e-readers, if you enjoy flipping pages to uncover the story, then book street at Fort area is your escape. In the corner of the five-way intersection at the Flora fountain lies a street that has been dishing iconic reads for the past 60 years. Covered in blue plastic sheets are a series of ten book shops separated by books mounted as pillars. These shops are manned by seasoned booksellers who invite customers to a galore of enriching books.
Amongst the booksellers can be spotted Avadhesh Kumar Yadav at the first shop on the street, grinning sheepishly. At first glance, it appears to be an inside joke that has occupied his attention. But in essence, it's his warmth that has masqueraded as glee. Hailing from Jaunpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh, he arrived in Mumbai in 1999 to seek employment.

Fort in 2023 vs 1999
Back in the year 1999, Avadhesh found a job at a newspaper stall, located outside Citibank's office on Dadabhai Naoroji Road. After working there for more than a decade, he went on to join ‘Friend's Bookstall' in 2012. He recalls the earlier days of the southern chunk of Mumbai when there was no ongoing metro construction, and the cityscape donned a wider skyline.

"Fort was a crowd magnet. People from all walks of life flocked to the area in search of work, vistas, and experience. We used to receive heavy footfall of readers from the city as well as abroad. Tourists and aviation industry experts would stay at Taj and visit my shop to skim through the collection. As the years went by, the dynamics of the area evolved. Ten years ago, one would arrive at Nariman Point, Fort, Church gate, etc. in search of hopes and livelihoods. But with the advent of growth in other regions of Mumbai, the crowd moved away, and eventually, Fort lost its original beat," shares the bookseller as he stacks the book "I Do What I Do" by Raghuram Rajan.

He elaborates that with the development of commercial spaces and economic growth in areas like Lower Parel, Worli, Dadar, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Powai, etc., diverse opportunities opened up and swept the crowd away with them.

Connection with books and book lovers
Yadav bursts into a series of laughter while talking to his dear customer Rajeev Kashikar. "Rajeev is visiting me after two long years. I am extremely pleased to see him today! Earlier I used to see more of him, but the pandemic drove many customers away. I am glad that he is back to rummage my store for his reading dose. I know his taste in books, he is a banker who is smitten by books on espionage, travel, economics, and business," says Yadav while regaling Rajeev over a conversation in Marathi. An expert curator, Yadav hand picks a few books for Rajeev, namely, ‘Covid Warrior' by Minhaz Merchant, ‘'From Russia with Blood' by Heidi Blake, and ‘Russia Conundrum' by Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

In his experience of working for 24 years, he recalls another cherished customer Amit Bhasole who works at Azim Premji University, Bangalore. "Amit is a very old customer who came to interview me back in 2012 for his college assignment for the Tata School of Social Sciences at Chembur. Since then, we became good friends. He used to visit my store regularly to get books on Economics and Sociology. Over the years, I saw him turn into a proficient teacher from a curious student. Now, every time he is in town, he makes sure to pay me a visit!" Yadav reveres his old customers who have been coming to his stall for the past ten years.

The world through the lens of a reader
When quizzed about the highest-selling genre, pat came a reply: "Fiction novels sell the most, but it would be unfair to not mention other categories that perform well like: History, Biographies, Philosophy, and much more. I gauge my reader's choice to learn about trendy subjects and books. I believe that the habit of reading is very rewarding. Once you catch the addiction of reading, you will feel content and not seek other avenues to engage in."

"If I could choose a way of living, I would pick this life over and over again! Although I am not a fluent reader, I have learned a lot about this world through the books I sell to my readers. Each day brings a new story and a new learning to ponder upon. When people come to buy books at my stall, they engage me in deep conversations about the plot of those books. This opens up my mind and sparks my imagination. Through their narration, I learnt about Mumbai's model to manage Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, China's communism, espionage from the Cold War, the ancient history of India, etc."

Joona bookstores of Fort
A resident of Lalbaug, Yadav harks back to the bygone days and remembers the monopoly of his shop. "I used to catch a train from Parel and arrive at the Churchgate station to get my shop running at 10:30 am. Earlier there used to be only two stalls: Mine and the adjacent rival store. We used to be the most famous bookstall with a legacy dating back more than fifty years. Now, over the years, a lot has changed. The Victorian buildings and the roads remained the same but new avenues hatched around Fort which attracted more booksellers."

"Now, there are multiple bookstores that have sprouted around us, posing a challenge to our trade. We offer competitive rates to our customers in a bid to raise our sales. However, the competition is fair and healthy, and I have no complaints. Each day we work together to raise camaraderie and serve our subjects with best practices. Despite the competition, I never intend to leave Fort as it is the best spot in town! My store, especially, stands as a testament to the changing cityscape and represents the spirit of Mumbai."

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