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The Hindu

Diversifying literature for Delhiites

When Vesmir moved to Delhi from Madhya Pradesh in 2019, he realised that the metropolis provided him with a golden opportunity to connect with other readers. But he also noticed a difference in how Delhi reads — there were people who only wanted to read 'elite' literary works, those who preferred contemporary authors and didn't want to challenge themselves with other genres and access to reading communities was reserved for specific groups of people. When it comes to reading, your community should not be a privilege, he says, and that was what made him start Tangerine in January last year, with a group of vibrant readers. The group meets once a month for themed discussions, movie screenings, and author meet-and-greets. 'When I started Tangerine, the goal was to make people read the books I loved… but I wanted to diversify and make people read books of all genres,' says Vesmir. But when he announced Tangerine would expand beyond readingWestern and Indian authors, the attendance at the monthly meetings dropped. To bring in more people, Vesmir began organising movie screenings and activities like themed drawing and blackout poetry. 'Today, Tangerine has a mix of people — college students, working professionals, authors ...but still, sometimes, it is a struggle to get people to read what they don't want to,' says Vesmir. He is committed to bringing books that are not considered 'mainstream' to Delhi's reading community. For instance, this month, the community plans on reading The Vegetarian by Han Kang, a South Korean author, and had previously picked up The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka. By bringing these books into spotlight, Vesmir aims to introduce readers to varied writing styles, fresh topics, and diverse cultures. Cultural unfamiliarity and language barriers also pose challenges to readers in the city, he says. Authors such asOcean Vuong, who writes in English and in lyrical style, tend to be more popular among the readers. Despite translated works often being the most palatable for the community of readers, introducing people to new concepts and authors has its benefits, feels Vesmir. 'Social media continues to be the bedrock of my initiative as I am able to reach out to more people and arrange collaborations,' he adds.