Hyderabad book clubs: Amid doomscrolls & clicks, bibliophiles keep the paperback alive
By: Noyonica Neyogi
HYDERABAD: In an age of digital 'doomscrolling', a few clubs in Hyderabad are bringing together readers to revive the habit of reading while turning solitary activity into a lively, community discourse, reports Noyonica Neyogi.
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Launched in Sept 2024, the turning point for this group came when its founders realised their online community was growing, but in the wrong direction.
'There were many people, but nobody was actually reading anymore, just talking. It wasn't why we started, so we moved offline to keep the focus on books,' said Anirudh Kasibhatla, who co-founded it with Harsha Kandru.
Since last Sept, members have been gathering every Sunday morning at KBR Park for in-person reading sessions.
For Sai Tejaswi, who recently joined this 23-member string club, it was a gentle nudge back to the habit she'd abandoned.
'I've been reading since childhood, though life's breaks took me away. Here I found a group that welcomes you back without judgment,' said the MBA graduate. Others, like Bhavareju Rutwika, rise early each Sunday just to make it to the park. 'It is a weekly reset. With the peacocks calling, and the cool breeze, I recharge myself for the week ahead.'
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Six months ago, two women, Unnati Ved and Kalpana Sinha, launched this initiative that reimagined what a book club could be.
'It started when we realised Hyderabad needed a new kind of reading culture; one that didn't stop at skimming or shelving a book,' shared Unnati.
'We wanted a structured forum where every meeting felt like an experience, and not just another casual chat about characters and themes.'
The club convenes every third Saturday, with the discussion centred around a single book, carefully curated by the founders, often paired with delightful activities.
What started with just a few members has now grown into a family of over fifty.
'We plan on inviting a grief counsellor for this month's session to discuss the overarching theme of 'healing' in the 'Tomb of Sand'. It will be quite different from previous gatherings; like when we organised a scavenger hunt based on the 'Honjin Murders',' added Unnati.
Long-time member AsiyaShervani, an independent consultant, said: 'Clubs like this are keeping the reading habit alive.'
Sanjay Anand, a retired professional and member, said habit hasn't waned, only the medium has changed: 'I don't believe the younger generation has stopped reading. They have just moved from paperbacks to Kindles and other digital formats.'
Communitie Hyderabad
Founders Sanjana Datla and Shreya Pamulapati have embraced both online and offline models. Since April 2024, the club has been running 'silent-reading' video calls every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
On these days, members join hourlong sessions with their microphones muted and videos on.
'Sessions like these help many readers stay accountable and build a consistent reading habit,' said Sanjana. On Saturdays, members meet to discuss their reads. 'Recently, we toured the Qutb Shahi tombs with a guide to tie Hyderabad's history to our book,' she added. In May, 'Communitie Hyderabad' joined other groups for 'Cover-to-Cover,' a literary fest, to bring Telugu and other vernacular authors into the spotlight.
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