Meet like-minded Mumbaikars at this Bandra bookstore to dive into literary fun

Readers in like-minded company at the lounge. Pics Courtesy/Fictonary

During the recently concluded The Neighbourhood Festival, the Bandra-based bookstore, Fictionary, had opened a literary lounge. "It was an event between events. We wanted to create a space for readers to socialise," says Sabina Pendhari, the bookstore's marketing manager. The lit lounge at the festival was a platform consisting of games and prompts that could get readers to break the ice and get to know each other. "We didn't think much about it at the time, but it ended up doing well," she reveals.

Following the success of the festival edition, the bookstore's first official bi-monthly edition of the lounge will take place this evening. Anup Nair, founder of the bookstore, tells us, "Twice a month, we want to get together to have fun, play games, chat about books, and make new friends." The space will be moderated by Pendhari and Urja Panchal from the team. For the upcoming edition, the duo shares, "We're planning a book bingo as an introductory activity. We feel it'll be a nice conversation starter to avoid the initial awkwardness between people. We're also going to have a Story Wall." This is akin to the well-known spinning-the-yarn writing activity, where a participant begins the story with a sentence, and the others get a turn each to add a sentence, and take the story to the finish line.

Anup Nair, Urja Panchal and Sabina Pendhari

Readers at the trial run of the event at the festival found the event to be a culmination of everything a book lover enjoys. Prachi Gohil, a participant who has met like-minded people through the bookstore's reading community, believes, "It's a great way to slow down, and build human connections without the pressure to perform." She recalls indulging in invigorating conversations about pop culture, history and art with the people she met at the mixer. Another participant, author Varun Gwalani recalls meeting various kinds of readers who shared debates and conversations on books they enjoyed with one another. "We spoke about overrated authors, dead authors we would want to meet, Sherlock Holmes, George Orwell, overused romance and fantasy tropes, magic systems in literature," he adds. Today's edition promises readers with such friendly banter and lots of book talk - an
ideal way to spend Friday night.

AT Fictionary Bookstore & Café, Gharaonda, National College Lane, Bandra West.
ON October 24; 7 pm to 9 pm
LOG ON TO @fictionarybooks on Instagram