Mumbai's Kitab Khana completes fifteen years: 'Readers should feel like it is their space'

When we had interviewed Kitab Khanarsquos cofounder Amrita Somaiya for this newspaper soon after the independent bookstore had opened for the cityrsquos spacestarved bibliophiles Fort still had a few standalone bookshops Today that number is dismal unless you include the secondhand vendors near Fountain and in Kalbadevi A harsh reality check for the Maximum CityAmrita SomaiyaNo wonder most readers would agree that 15 years is a long time in the life of a Mumbai bookstore When the founders celebrated their landmark anniversary recently with an intimate gettogether at the Somaiya Bhavan address wellwishers including customers spanning generations and authors showed up to raise a toast to the cultural oasis In a freewheeling chat Somaiya and Chief Operating Officer T Jagath discuss its past present and futureT JagathExcerpts from the interviewTell us about Kitab Khanarsquos philosophy that has enabled it to survive and thriveAmrita Somaiya AS Ours is a philosophy of interpersonal relationship and customer connection Knowing customers and their preferences has set us apart and has also sustained the bookstore When bookstores around us are closing or becoming department stores our love for books continues to keep this space alive This is a passion venture It gives us enough to keep it going and to keep our staff goingAudience at a book reading in the bookstore PicAtul KambleT Jagath TJ Customer loyalty has been built over time Readers often spot a book elsewhere and reach out to us for a copy Our discounts are a huge draw Itrsquos also about trust We are the only standalone to have direct accounts with all Indian publishersWhat challenges do independent bookstores like yours faceAS In our early days Kindle was the new big thing in the market and everybody proclaimed that the estore would wipe out independent bookstores Digital book sales will always exist But over time our philosophy hasnrsquot changed There has been a growing loyalty and customer awareness towards such bookstores Unless urgent most customers donrsquot mind waiting for a day or even a week for us to source a particular titleTJ The touchandfeel of a book is irreplaceableAS After COVID19 I noticed a different customer type enter our bookstore These are young people whorsquove been online either for studies or their work They seek relief in bookstores They want to reconnect with the real world and their being social mediasavvy has aided in footfallsAS I used to think of it as a hindrance smiles But in reality the 20something generation has helped bring people into the store I am unsure if they buy books there might be no direct conversion into sales but they definitely bring in other customers There is also a resurgence in the cityrsquos reading culture with book communities and clubs These new groups are a postlockdown phenomenonTJ Social media helps in spreading the word and creating a buzzHow much has goodwill impacted your existenceAS This is due to the amalgamation of years of hard work We were pleasantly surprised to be included as the only Indian bookstore in the Bookshops of the World curation Even the mention in Londonrsquos Financial Times list of 20 most brilliant bookstores was a wonderful feeling Whether social media word of mouth or reviews by booklovers led to it we are unsure The warmth and positive vibes draw people hereTJ Wersquove earned their goodwill Kitab Khana exists because of their the ownersrsquo passion If owners donrsquot possess it it becomes just another businessCould you share some of your favourite memories from over the yearsAS My first memory would be of my 11yearold daughterrsquos presence during the opening of the bookstore Observing her love for books and being part of bringing Kitab Khana to life was specialOver the years amazing authors both global and Indian have dropped by from Sudha Murthy and Shashi Tharoor to William Dalrymple and His Holiness The Dalai Lama When we opened we received letters from writers eminent personalities and politiciansPost the fire in December 2020 there was an outpouring of love from all quarters It sunk in at some level that the bookstore had a deep connect with its customersYour knowledgeable staff is the bookstorersquos USPAS Absolutely A majority of them have been with us since the start from junior staffers to Jagath We do our best to engage them in enhancement skills as itrsquos necessary to grow a team Since most of them moved from a bookstore Strand Book Stall they are knowledgeable Jagath offers advice and feedback There is continuous learning on the floorTJ I always tell them ground staff that interacting with the customer is the best trainingAny plans for expansionAS Wersquove got offers from Pune and Ahmedabad But itrsquos impossible to replicate our team from Jagath downwards Our philosophy and USP is customer relationship the curation and the art of knowing each customerrsquos preferences Retaining that connection is important Our ambiance is also critical and plays a big role So the idea is logistically not possibleWhat are your future plansAS I hope to keep it alive for coming generations I am confident that my three children have the passion to take it forward as they are all readers who value the importance of such spaces Itrsquos in our familyrsquos DNA to nurture the bookstore in order to preserve our culture and heritage and to ensure that coming generations will have avenues to experience to enjoy and reflect uponTea cakes for the Dalai LamaHis Holiness The Dalai LamaWhen His Holiness arrived at Kitab Khana it was close to his dinner time because he doesnrsquot eat after 4 pm He was hungry and so he requested a tea cake from our cafeacute He knew he couldnrsquot eat after that hour until the next morning We were blessed and honoured by his presence that day