CHENNAI:Afternoon sunlight filters through the shelves, lighting up the interiors of The Book Office. The latest co-working space to open its doors, The Book Office, Adyar, is surprisingly different from the others in the city. It’s understated quirk, simple white walls and cushions an beanbag seating make one feel right at home, providing no distractions with flashy decorations. But the best part, especially for bibliophiles, is the presence of a million other co-workers, silently waiting to start a conversation — from Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, Hemingway to Dan Brown, Danielle Steel, Maya Angelou — they stand stacked on high bookshelves.
“This is perhaps the only co-working space inside a library, in Chennai,” shares Simran Chakraborty, events manager and curator of The Book Office. The office is located in the ilovereadin’ library premises, which has developed warm patronage from the readers of Adyar for the past seven years, by providing great book rental schemes and hosting storytelling events, author discussions etc. Wanting to expand their events space, they decided to shift to the larger 1,300 sqft space on the first floor of their premises. “So essentially, this space will be hosting events during weekends and can be used as a co-working space during weekdays,” she smiles. The entrance to The Book Office opens into the children’s arena. The five-foot high shelves are filled with colourful books, faintly lit with charming fairy lights.
“When we were setting this up, we initially focussed on the children’s section because, originally the library was started off for children,” she explains. Working parents can leave their children to read here while they get some work done. “And the children end up reading too, which is great!” Simran smiles. The parent company, Multistory Learning, which also publishes books under the name of Ms Moochi, has always made efforts to promote reading. “We have been conducting a book lover’s programme across schools, encouraging kids to read more.
We send our books to the library, conduct storytelling events etc.,” she shares. Operated by The Kahanipuram Trust, a non-profit venture that seeks to promote initiatives revolving around children, books, and stories, the space was launched recently to great fanfare. The co-working space is open to freelancers, entrepreneurs, creatives, or generally anyone who likes to work in a room full of books. They also provide high-speed internet, a printer, and many cups of coffee to go around!
Find The Book Office on the 1st floor, #9, Fourth Street, Venkateswara Nagar, Adyar.
Price: Rs 200 for the first hour, Rs 100 for the second hour, then Rs 50 every additional hour. Open from 9 am to 5 pm (flexible). For details call:9940668512