Can we ‘Book-flix’ with the kids?

An event, Books-Street was organised on Phadke Road in Dombivli East on Sunday on the occasion of World Book Day. The organisers, Pai Friends Library, spread out more than one lakh books along the road and encouraged people to read or pick up something they like. Pic/Lalit Gala

What advice do you have for young, aspiring writers?" A teenaged student interviewer asked me as part of an interaction at DAV Public School in Nerul that was hosting a literature conclave to celebrate World Book Day. Prior to this session, the school principal gave me the tour as I spotted some pretty impressive displays, all themed around literary greats and genres. But, the time I spent in this school ended up offering fabulous learnings and insight about young minds in their threshold years before they step out to take on bigger things.

During the walkabout, I noticed that it wasn't just international authors but a fair share of Indian names that had made it to the wall displays. I was already smiling. Then, two ideas en route to the assembly hall grabbed my attention - one about ‘Book-flix' and how it's possible to get hooked on to it just like how most of the world swears by the popular streaming platform. I liked the sound of it. The presentation went on to explain the ‘coolness' of the concept. The second idea that brought a smile to my face was a book nook; here a student librarian helmed affairs in a mini library that had brightly painted tin boxes as seating options. A cute, practical idea that can be easily executed in schools, where the onus is on the child rather than a grown-up, be it helming affairs or getting others into the reading habit in a safe, happy space.

Also Read: Should we say ‘statue'?

By the time I was seated for my interview, it had become clear that these clued-in students knew the ‘lit' in their literature. And, so, that question thrown at me was an inevitable one. I replied, recalling a line that was shared by the very prolific and popular Ruskin Bond, during an interview with him at his home in Landour. He said at the time, "I write a page a day even if I don't think it's up to the mark. The discipline helps in the long run." I added my two-bit, clearly inspired by what I had just seen en route to the assembly hall - "Set up a book nook of your favourite titles in any little corner in your home; it will help make you curious about books, nudge you to read, before you decide if you'd like to become a writer." There. I thought I had given a fair bit of gyaan to these impressionable teens. As I left the venue, a few thoughts emerged - how can the ‘last-mile connectivity', to borrow from the lexicon that is usually connected with public transport, be facilitated for these kids? How can we ensure that they are hooked on Book-flix? Will even a handful from that packed hall, who came from different parts of Navi Mumbai, as well as Mulund and Thane, take forward any of these ideas? What if they simply don't have the space to give wings to it? What if they are time-strapped to write a page a day, because of multiple tuitions, piano classes and cricket practice? Does the neighbourhood nurture sufficient reading rooms and public libraries?

Such doubts continued to surface long after I returned to my work desk in the newsroom and got back to the daily routine of bringing out the newspaper. Soon enough, other thoughts emerged - do those students understand the perks of holding a newspaper in their hands and reading about the goings-on in the city and suburbs? While growing up, for folks like us, it was like ‘News-flix' and all else rolled into one broadsheet. It was a simple tool where we imagined the world was in our hands, and this was before satellite television stormed into our homes. I'd go so far as to say that for our generation even the newspaper was a book.

Having said that, for the current and coming generations, I wish we can develop an ecosystem to support the young reader/writer - be it at home, in class and in the locality? It was World Book Day yesterday, and while everybody has been going overboard on social media about the virtues of reading, or the coolest picks to read, we must simultaneously ensure that these young minds discover and nurture their reading habit. Those students showed tremendous promise, and while I left feeling hopeful, I was both excited and anxious about whether they would carry on the habit in the long run. Too many dynamic and glossy distractions are already veering them away, I suspect and fear, and each more ‘kewl' than the next one that is just a click away.

Very little gives me more joy than the sight of a teen with their head buried in a book inside a bookstore. That they are able to nourish this passion for the rest of their lives is a collective responsibility that we as society must pave the way for.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana
Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com