While traditional bookstores are struggling to survive, those dealing in second-hand books continue to prosper. The online onslaught and the Kindle boom has not impacted them. Many well-known book shops in Hyderabad like A A Husain have called it a day as the industry is going through a rough weather but there is no slide in demand for the used books.
This is heartening news with the World Book Day round the corner. The footfalls on city footpaths bear this out. Come Sunday and general holidays bibliophiles cram the pavements at Abids to pick up their favourite books at throwaway prices. From St. George’s Grammar School to Tilak Road, Nampally Station Road and beyond they can be seen scanning through the titles. Wonder what is William Shakespeare doing in the company of Sidney Sheldon? Or Charles Dickens rubbing shoulders with J K Rowling? Timeless classics and books of the hour are on the same footing here. From P G Wodehouse, William Blake, Mark Twain to Harold Robins and Jackie Collins one can pick up the best of the reads for a song here. For many it makes sense to indulge in pavement shopping.
“Why spend a huge amount on a new book when you get the same at a cheap rate”, asks Kumar who is a regular at the Sunday bazaar. The range of books available are mind-boggling. Not just fiction, there are also books on medicine, interior decoration, history, travel, cookery, fashion, management, health, architecture and puzzles.
“There is never a dull moment. The demand is steady and people come here regularly looking for books”, says Shareef, who is selling books at Abids for over two decades. He may not have read a single book but he is quite familiar with books and authors. Name a title and he will ferret it out in a jiffy.
Whenever they visit Hyderabad, my book-addict nieces, Saiqa Parveen and Rukhsana Parveen, make it a point to drop in at Abids on Sundays. They linger for hours on the titles spread. Often one strikes gold as many rare and out of print books can be found here and for as cheap as `20 to `200.
There is something for everyone here. The Laad Bazaar near Charminar also comes alive with bookworms on Sundays. This street which normally throbs with women looking for colourful bangles offers substantial amount of collectibles and books on Sundays. Hyderabad footpaths sure offer a rich sensory browsing experience.
J S Ifthekhar
Email: jsifthekhar@gmail.com