BENGALURU: Humans have always sought knowledge through various mediums, whether it’s books, movie frames, ever-evolving news narratives, the Internet, social media, or simply by observing nature in all its glory. Through all these means and actions, what we as a species pursue are stories that enrich our life experiences.
In a similar pursuit, two friends created a reading community named ‘Cubbon Reads’ early this year, etching a fresh chapter in the country’s burgeoning literary scene, specifically focusing on public reading. The friends, Shruti Sah, a professional baker and marketer, and Harsh Snehanshu, co-founder of writing app YourQuote, came upon the idea to transform serene green spaces around big cities into reading hubs, where book lovers could gather and immerse themselves in printed words. This began in Bengaluru, but spread across India’s public parks and around the globe, converting green spaces into open-air libraries, thanks to the duo’s online presence via the Cubbon Reads’ Instagram page.
The Reads chapters have garnered a wider audience since the duo officially started the community in January 2023, with just six readers. Today, there are approximately 70 Reads chapters worldwide, turning parks into zones where diverse genres are read and enjoyed by hundreds in silence.
In India, Reads chapters can be found in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Goa, Ahmedabad, Vijayawada, Puducherry, Thrissur, Srinagar, Cuttack, Nagpur, Guwahati, Shillong, Jaipur, Surat, Siliguri, Ranchi, Lucknow, and many other cities. Internationally, chapters exist in Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Melbourne, London, Dubai, Paris, Johannesburg, Seattle, Boston, and New York City, with new cities joining every alternate Saturday.
One might wonder if this slow reading experience has something special to drive so many people to parks that have been accessible to us for decades now. Shruti explains, “Cubbon Reads became popular because, unlike other book clubs, our community is built on the tenet of anti-hustle, reading for pleasure rather than productivity. Our idea was to make reading a more public activity. We don’t prescribe what to read, how to read, or what one should feel from reading something — it’s all about an individual forming their own experience and opinions through the act of reading.” She adds that the group does not have rules for joining. Readers can feel free to come and leave as per their wish.
More the merrier
While the community’s core lies in reading for leisure, other sister groups built on the same principle also engage many over the weekends. “The organic birth of sub-communities within Cubbon Reads, built on the same ethos of silence, has been very fulfilling to watch. Communities like Cubbon Paints, Cubbon Folds, Cubbon Knits, and Cubbon Writes bring people with specific interests, such as painting, origami, or writing, respectively, to create together in silence, with experiences of attendees cross-pollinating with each other,” says Harsh.
Parvathy Subash, who started Cubbon Writes, says coming to Cubbon Park every Saturday made her an “accountable reader” again, and gradually, she was able to get back to writing after she purchased a typewriter. Parvathy also initiated ‘Busking’, wherein she’d have conversations with strangers and write poetry for them based on it. Eventually, more writers became part of the silent group and would write on iPads, laptops, loose papers, or their well-maintained diaries.
Week begins on Saturday
Shruti and Harsh tell The New Sunday Express that a lot of individuals coming for Reads look at Saturdays as the beginning of their week. “They’d have started a new book or a new chapter or made significant progress in their current reading and continue the momentum through the weekdays, until the next Saturday comes. So, they’re motivated to finish that book on time and bring a new one to the next edition,” says Shruti. Harsh adds that Reads normalised the idea of people coming to public parks and reading amidst a group of others.
Harsh Snehanshu and Shruti Sah, founders of Cubbon Reads will be at a session “Not a Book Club: The Story of Cubbon Reads” at the Bangalore Literature Festival, 2023 at 5pm at Blue Coach, Lalit Ashok