VISAKHAPATNAM: Dozens of readers carrying novels, biographies, newspapers and academic texts gather at Central Park every Saturday evening, turning a section of the park into an open-air reading room. The weekly gathering is part of Vizag Reads, a silent reading community that has steadily grown in Visakhapatnam over the past three years.
Founded on June 18, 2023 by Shireen Meher, Vizag Reads began as an attempt to create a simple space where people could come together around a shared interest. Three years later, it has evolved into a community that many participants describe as a place for connection, friendship and a break from pace of everyday life.
Speaking to TNIE, Shireen Meher said the idea emerged after she returned to Visakhapatnam following several years in Bengaluru, where she had worked in corporate roles, including at Amazon. During that time, she noticed the growing popularity of communities built around interests such as reading, sketching and other creative pursuits in different cities across the country.
“Visakhapatnam did not have many active communities. After school and college, it becomes difficult to meet people regularly because friends move away for work or studies. I always wanted to build a community where people could come together around a shared interest,” she said.
The concept itself was adopted from similar reading communities operating elsewhere. Meher and a few friends adapted the idea to suit Visakhapatnam and launched the city’s own chapter. The response surprised them. While the organisers expected only a handful of participants at the inaugural session, around 25 people attended. Since then, the community has continued to meet every Saturday from 4 pm to 6 pm at Central Park, drawing between 30 and 40 participants on a typical weekend. Larger gatherings have attracted up to 80 or 90 people.
What sets Vizag Reads apart is its simplicity. Participants arrive with their own books, find a place to sit and spend two hours reading in silence. There are no prescribed reading lists, formal discussions or book reviews. The focus remains on creating an uninterrupted space for reading. Meher said the format was designed to offer a pause from increasingly screen-dominated routines. “People are constantly working, scrolling or chasing something. I wanted to create spaces that slow us down. I wanted to create spaces that slow us down,” she said.
The reading material reflects the diversity of the group. Participants bring fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, thrillers, newspapers and even academic texts. Books in Telugu, Marathi, Bengali and Tamil are often seen alongside English titles.
The community also attracts people from different parts of the country who have moved to Visakhapatnam for work or education. According to Meher, participants from Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu regularly attend the sessions.
Many arrive looking for more than reading time. Several participants are newcomers to the city and use the gatherings as a way to meet people beyond their workplaces or educational institutions.
According to Meher, one of the most rewarding aspects of Vizag Reads has been watching friendships develop naturally. She said reading creates a different kind of interaction because conversations often begin with curiosity about a book rather than formal introductions.
The impact, Meher said, extends beyond books. Some participants have told her that the community helped them return to reading after years away from the habit. Others have spoken about finding companionship during difficult phases of life or feeling less isolated in a city where they knew few people.
“Sometimes just showing up is enough. People come because they want a quiet space to read. They stay because they find a community,” Meher said.
