How bookstores are becoming a buzzing third space for readers

“I like to leave a little bit of poetry in everyone I meet – but in the end, I find there’s a little bit of poetry left in me whenever they go.”

— Laura Chouette, ‘The Willow Song’

Before “the third space” became a much sought-after phrase, there was the chaupal – the spot around the peepul tree and the always-open neighbour’s house where people gathered for conversations and tea. India comes with a rich heritage of communitarian practices – from the casual adda at a tapri to organised people’s movements. In today’s world of information overload, where we vicariously see and experience much more than has ever been possible, we find ourselves craving these in-person communitarian spaces, where one might talk about their lives without any pretences.

Book friendships

The Bookshop Inc in Delhi recently hosted a poetry reading circle where attendees read in whichever language they wanted. This was followed by a discussion. The poems were translated for the rest of the audience in real time, and everyone spoke freely about how a poem made them feel. Liberating and empowering! Sitting there listening to well-known poets from Pash to Matthew Sweeney to Ada Limon, to being introduced to poets such as Brad Aaron Modlin through a poem titled “What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade”, was an unforgettable experience. A remarkable bonhomie of the meeting of kindred spirits of poetry lovers at a bookstore.

In other cities, too, bookstores are uniting readers. Dhanya Madhavan Nair, a reader, recalling her time at events in Bengaluru’s Higginbothams store, said, “A bookstore’s natural affinity for books and readers lends itself to a captive audience, drawing in like-minded people organically. These are epic literary parties, where stories come alive, ideas bounce, and bookish friendships bloom.”

Creative writing teacher Maryann Taylor discussed events at bookstores such as Bahrisons and Kunzum in Delhi and highlighted the differences between those at the bookstores and elsewhere – “These gatherings tend to be smaller, more personal, which means conversations go deeper and connections form more naturally. You don’t need to know the person sitting next to you to start chatting with them. I have made some really good friends out of chance encounters at these events. A bookshop, at its best, isn’t just a place to buy books, it’s where you find stories, inspiration, and it’s also where you find your people-a nice combination of things that makes your life richer.”

Reading and more

This exchange of energy and mutual care is increasingly encouraging people to not only start conversations on books and reading but to become friends. Some bookstores even include theatre showcases, stand-up comic shows, zine making, cookery clubs and cookouts in their activity calendar. It is a segue into the creative space where no activity is too small.

This is how a space traditionally for the written word is waking up to the synergy of the spoken word and redefining public life in cities. Silent reading sessions, poetry slams, workshops and classes, meetups, art displays, pop-up libraries and book swaps at these stores have created safe spaces for individuals of all identities to meet. It is interesting to note that this trend has gained popularity entirely through the efforts of independent bookstores that have shown sustained efforts to make reading “cool” again. It is also perhaps the challenge of survival that has prompted bookstores to think of innovative ways to draw crowds and ensure sales.

The diversity of this movement is to be noted, too. One such meeting foregrounded mental health in a monthly listening and speaking circle for women initiated by Niyogi Books at Kunzum café. The audience sat in a circle and listened and shared stories about women’s interior lives.

These shared, collaborative spaces encourage multiplicities of voices in a multilingual setting, thus championing the cause of reading and community feeling. Physical, communal engagement around books is not merely nostalgic; it’s a timely response to contemporary digital overload. No surprises then that not only more and more bookstores, but readers themselves are adopting their nearest bookstore as the newest “hangout spot.”