Hidden in Mumabi's Mahalaxmi is a paradise for all bibliophiles of the city. Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
Madhavi Gupta, who co-founded Butterfly Books/BooksByWeight with her husband Ajay Gupta says, “Our aim is to make the purchase of books economical for all those who love to read.” Before starting out with this mega book fair, the couple was into book trading for over 25 years.
You can buy one kilogram of books at Rs 100 for small-format fiction books like that of Dan Brown. The price rises to Rs 300 per kilogram for popular fiction novels like Tom King, Jeffery Archer and Agatha Christie due to their heavy weight and the higher price at which they are procured. The book fair also sells children’s books at Rs 300 per kilogram. In one kilogram, you can buy around 8-10 A4-sized books (depending on the size). Books for babies that are hard bound are sold at Rs 400 per kilogram.
Books available at this book fair are procured from the UK, the US and Australia. While all English novels and children’s books can be found here, Gupta says, “We don’t procure more of Indian authored books. Only a few are procured locally and on special requests by some customers. That is not to say that Indian-authored books are low in demand. A huge chunk of people enjoys reading books by Indian authors."
Speaking about international authors, Gupta lists Tom King, Sidney Sheldon, and Jeffery Archer among other age-old authors to be a top preference for Indian readers. She adds, “Most young adults today enjoy reading thrillers having a gripping story. There is also a section of college-going students who enjoy reading romantic novels from time to time.”
Book fair details:
Till: July 6, 2023
Timings: 10 am – 6 pm
Closed on all Sundays
Address: Butterfly Books, 83/C ground floor, Hansraj Pragji building, L N Pappan Marg, off Dr E Moses road, close to Worli Naka, Worli, Mumbai 400018.
Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
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