Enter the surreal world of graphic novels and watch complex toon characters come alive at British Council Library
Enter the surreal world of graphic novels and watch complex toon characters come alive at British Council Library
Earlier this year in America, cult graphic novel Watchmen was adapted into a movie to the consternation of its author Alan Moore, who wanted nothing to do with the movie. While fans harboured mixed reactions about the movie, one thing is for certain that the genre of graphic novel is here to stay. The comic books with complex storylines akin to novels are an alternate way of telling stories and this prompted British Council Library to organise an exhibition dedicated to them. The Guide caught up with Kajari Mitra, Manager of British Council Library, Pune, who gave us a lowdown on graphic novels and their popularity in the city.u00a0 
What was the objective behind holding an exhibition of graphic novels?
Each year, we highlight a selection of books from our collection. We follow a common programme nationally and hence, the exhibition will be displayed at all our nine centres in the country. We have around 100 novels on display at BCL, which can be borrowed after the event gets over.
What made you choose graphic novels as the theme?
They are very popular in the UK and such novels emphasise on the storyline alongwith the graphics. Through this exhibition, we are trying to showcase the best of such novels, from the UK as well as by Indian writers.
Tell us about the graphic novels that you have on exhibit.
Being expensive, it's easier for people to access such novels through an exhibition. We have the entire series of Agatha Christie, Shakespeare and Batman, which are very popular. You will also find Indian writer Sarnath Banerjee's Corridor and Barn Owl over here.
What kind of response have you seen so far?
This genre is attracting the younger generation. We have people aged 18 to 25 who are happy poring over these books. At our library, you can spot students 
and even young IT professionals huddled in a corner browsing through graphic novels.
Has the concept of a "graphic novel" caught on?u00a0
In India, the current generation is more attuned to visuals and prefer to experience Shakespeare or Agatha Christie in graphic form rather than read pages of text. Being an extension of comics, it is fairly simple to understand. Thanks to the success of the Harry Potter series, which dealt with topics such as witchcraft and magic, these graphic novels have also caught on.
Tell us about the response in Pune as compared to other centres.
Pune boasts of the largest number of our library readers and the highest number of items are issued (in terms of books, DVDs and CDs). It has beaten Mumbai and Delhi and that's because Punekaris are into reading in a big way.
At:u00a0British Council Library, 917/1, opposite Times of India Building, Fergusson College Road , Shivaji Nagar.
Till: u00a0July 31, from 11 am to 7 pm
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