I wanted to be a game-definer,” says Ajay Jain, founder of Kunzum Books. Starting off in 2010 with Kunzum Travel Café in Delhi’s Hauz Khas village, he rebranded it to Kunzum Books over a decade later. Jain runs five Kunzum outlets across Delhi-NCR, each stylish, expansive and modern. A huge space, the store at Greater Kailash 2 is four-storied. While the first two floors are earmarked for books, the third and the fourth house theatres that host a slew of events. A 70’s karaoke night, tango classes, tarot sessions, or poetry and music performances, the bookstore is going beyond books “to attract guests from all walks of life, and catalyse the promotion of art and culture,” says Jain. “We are positioning Kunzum as a cultural hub, not just a literary one,” he adds.
Aakash Gupta, CEO and MD of Crossword Bookstores, also feels that “as a positive and necessary evolution, bookstores are now cultural hubs where people gather, learn and engage in enriching experiences. These events make the bookstore experience more immersive, engaging and relevant, fostering community and adding to the joy of reading. At Crossword, we host some exciting events like open mic, trivia night, offline club, and children’s storytelling. These events transform our bookstores into a central, vibrant space for the entire community.”
Speaking on the century-old Oxford Bookstore, CEO Swagat Sengupta says “over the decades, it has been a cultural hub, a destination for stalwarts of literature and art to interact with their followers, fans, and readers”.
At its original outlet in Delhi’s Khan Market, Bahrisons Booksellers has retained an old-world charm, hosting both regulars and non-regulars. However, as books become the centre of everything, its other stores in Delhi-NCR, along with Kolkata and Chandigarh, are more contemporary in look and feel.
“It depends on the location and the space available,” says Rajni Malhotra, who runs the family-run bookstore with her husband Anuj Bahri. “If you are at a mall, the décor should be like that. Also, if you have a big space, you have the advantage to showcase everything,” she adds.
On how bookstores are becoming venues of elements beyond books, Malhotra says, “In our model, we have coffee shops inside our bookstores for those who like coffee and books together. That has worked for us.”
While a cafe has almost become ubiquitous to the bookstore experience, it was started by the Oxford Bookstores in Kolkata in 2000.
“Oxford Bookstore has always been more than just a bookstore—it’s a space designed to cultivate community and social interaction. The addition of a café enhances this atmosphere, serving tea lovers and transforming the bookstore into a cozy and inviting retreat where customers can leisurely enjoy their purchases accompanied by delectable offerings,” says Sengupta.
Non-book events translating to sales?
While a number of legacy bookstores have shut shop recently, Bengaluru’s Nagasri Book House, being the latest one, sellers like Baharisons are standing guard while also expanding further. On the competition from new-age bookstores, like Kunzum, which are offering more than books, Malhotra says, “It’s a healthy competition. If more bookstores are opening in the country, it means more people are reading. And if he has the space, whether it’s for a tango class, a play or reading, it just adds to the ambience of books. It’s like a community you’re building. Because ultimately, the aim is to sell books.”
But do events, both literary and non-literary, translate to the sale of books?
“We have had many successful events. Packed houses happened at a show hosted by well-known comic Papa CJ, the Delhi Poetry Festival, a session with Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, a Sufi performance by Radhika Sood Nayak, and more. We recently hosted Agla Varka: Reimagining Panjab—New Stories in a New Land, an initiative by Majha House Amritsar and the Kuldip Nayar Trust, to an overflowing house,” says Jain. “While book sales are generally good at such gatherings, there have been disappointments too. We have failed to sell more than a handful of books to an audience of over a hundred at times. But we do not rue that; everything contributes to our brand equity,” he highlights.
Despite that, Jain believes that “bookstores have to offer more than just books— else they will lose out to the likes of Amazon who sell books like a commodity at deep discounts. We are looking at events up the value chain. These include meaningful conversations with people who matter, and attracting greater talent, especially in music and theatre. We are also in talks with publishers to fly in the best of writers from across the world.”
However, on his expansion plans, the Kunzum owner says that he’ll not rush into it because of two reasons. “One, manpower is a challenge in this industry. It is very difficult to find sales staff with a strong knowledge of books. Second, bookselling is a highly personalised business,” he says.
Meanwhile, on a rainy evening, right in the middle of Delhi’s Khan Market, Bahrisons Booksellers is brimming with activity. As some sift through books, others engage in conversations as the owners and staff attend to customers. The book curation is especially striking where one can find both trending and still-to-be-discovered titles sitting side-by-side on the shelf, not to mention the staff, who are receptive and aware of what the customer is looking for, and might also recommend a title or two. It’s the informed ‘manpower’ and ‘personalisation’ that Jain speaks of that sells here, making one wish that bookstores never go out of vogue. “I don’t think books will go out of fashion, I hope in our lifetime at least,” says Malhotra.
