A night at the library

Katharsis' interactive forum was created by three friends for booklovers and writers who believe in the transformative alchemy of words

The Asiatic Library - with its stunning blend of Roman and Greek architecture and majestic steps - is a magical place for every bibliophile. Now imagine the beautiful interiors of the library. The lights are turned off and there's a reading of a classic in torchlight - it's a dream.

The Night at the Library is a series of immersive experiences that will include readings, discussions, quiz, and cosplay. Suchitra Dalvie, co-founder of Katharsis, says, "Many people had asked us to consider doing an event around Agatha Christie and the idea of reading and discussing murder mysteries and even horror books of Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft."

This made Katharsis think of reading by torchlight in a library. She continues, "The Asiatic Society is one of the oldest literary societies of India, established over 200 years ago and has a reading space to rival anyone at Hogwart's in terms of floor to ceiling bookshelves, wrought iron spiral staircases and a prison in the basement. Not many know that it has one of the two original manuscripts of the Divine Comedy, written by Dante. We could not think of a better space."

Asiatic Library

Katharsis' interactive forum was created by Dalvie and her friends Sudhir Ajja and Yashodhra Mhatre for booklovers and writers who believe in the transformative alchemy of words. They have events curated around Sherlock, Shakespeare and Harry Potter where everyone can enjoy discussions, meta-analysis, and occasionally, some specially-crafted thematic meals.

Why Agatha Christie? "Well, one cannot speak of murder mystery books without paying homage to the Queen of Crime. She created two of the most beloved detectives with Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her works come third in the rankings of the world's most-widely published books, behind only Shakespeare's works and the Bible and of course she has a huge fan following here in India," says Dalvie.

Go, if you are an Agatha Christie fan or want to explore her books. Also, you can win the quiz curated by Katharsis by the end of the event. There can't be a better way than to spend a couple of hours in a quiet splendid heritage library surrounded by lakhs of old and new books as the sun sets and the torches are switched on! "That in itself would be quite an adventure!," adds Dalvie.

What: Night at the library
When: July 20, 6 to 8 pm
Where: The Asiatic Society Mumbai Library, Horniman Circle
Entry: Rs 499
To register: katharsis.org

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