Pune rediscovers its passion for books as literary events and pop culture boost reading
Pune: Last December, Rutuja Kulkarni went to Fergusson College, where the book fair was being held, to see the art installations on the campus and click some photographs with her friends. "But then I passed a stall with book covers that looked like movie posters and ended up buying three paperbacks," she said.
Book fairs in the city no longer resemble solemn libraries dragged into exhibition grounds. They now mirror full-blown cultural carnivals with food stalls, theatre acts, live music, children's corners, and panel discussions with celebrities.
Manjiri Prabhu, author and founder of the Pune International Literary Festival, said, "When we started in 2013, the aim was to take literature from the elite to the grassroots. We wanted books to be accessible to everyone and for authors to connect directly with their readers. It's an incredible moment when you hear a writer speak and then go buy their books because you're not just reading words, you're able to listen to the mind behind them. The literary events don't just boost reading; they inspire writing, too."
Publishers say this vibe shift has been a game changer in terms of book sales, drawing in new readers and reminding citizens what it feels like to read for pleasure.
At the Pune Book Festival held in Dec last year, over 1 million visitors bought 2.5 million books, pushing the sales past ₹40 crore — four times more than the previous year. Aisha Koli, an IT professional, said, "People are watching shows like Bridgerton and then rushing to buy original books by Julia Quinn, wanting more insight. Fans of The Queen's Gambit are finding the novel by Walter Tevis."
Gen Z readers are picking up the classics they once side-eyed in school and giving them a second chance — this time, minus the exams and moral science essays. Even Marathi literature is having a renaissance, with OTT platforms reintroducing it in bingeable formats.
Janhavi Deshpande, a teacher, said, "A friend of mine bought Wuthering Heights after watching a moody reel with violins. Don't even get me started on how many friends I have who finally read The Great Gatsby just to sound profound in Instagram captions. These were the same people who cried in school when they saw paragraphs longer than a tweet. It's a plot twist I didn''t expect."
Local publishers are also surfing this wave of demand. Pune-based duo Prashant and Anagha Karhade, who founded APK Publishers in 2008, have seen the local publishing scene turn from sluggish to sizzling. "We used to publish a book a month; now the demand has outpaced our pipeline," said Prashant.
Anagha added, "Around 60% of what we publish is fiction, and most buyers still prefer physical books. Even with e-books out there, paperbacks outsell them three to four times over. People have been asking us about audiobooks; we're converting over 350 of our titles right now. The interest is huge."
Often blamed for killing reading habits, social media is now driving book sales. Social media influencers are making funny and dramatic reels about their current reads and nudging their followers into reading challenges and book-buying sprees. Books have also crept into gifting culture. "Books make excellent presents across age groups, from my nieces and nephews who are toddlers to grandparents. I only gift books now. Unlike sweets and chocolates, they don't melt, cause cavities, or spike your sugar levels," said Preeti Singh, an unapologetic bibliophile.
A bookshelf displays one's personality traits, too. "'A well-stacked shelf reveals a person's taste. Books also have great sentimental value. A friend of mine spent a small fortune to transport her books all the way from Delhi to Pune when she relocated. Though she can find all these titles online, she found comfort in having her books with her in her new flat," said Nitin David, a BPO professional.
Gen Z has even turned books into statement pieces. Displaying titles on a shelf, Instagramming annotated pages, or carrying books during their commute or to work has become their version of wearing their hearts on their sleeves. "A book in hand is the new social armour. When I have a book in my hand, it conveys that I'm deep in plot twists and must not be disturbed," said Ajinkya Potdar, a college student.
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