Scroll: independent bookstores grow reading in India

Scroll reported on May 16 that independent bookstores in India are building reading culture by turning bookshops into places for browsing, conversation and repeat visits, rather than relying mainly on discounts or online convenience. The feature, by Aakriti Mandhwani, described stores in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Benares and Bhubaneswar. (scroll.in) It said the shops are defined not only by ownership outside large chains, but by tightly curated shelves and staff recommendations. The article appeared as Indian booksellers and readers have also been discussing bookstores as community spaces in a separate Scroll feature published on April 17. ### Which bookstores did Scroll use to show the trend? Scroll’s May 16 article pointed to Bookworm in Bengaluru, Dogears in Goa, Harmony in Benares and Walking Bookfairs in Bhubaneswar as examples of independent stores with distinctive identities. (scroll.in) The report said Bookworm became national news after heavy rainfall flooded the store, prompting messages of support, offers of financial help and orders from readers. It also said readers went to the store the next day to help salvage damaged books. Dogears in Margao, Goa, was described in the article as a store with shelves organized around subjects including marginalized voices, books about books and books on cities. Harmony, on Assi Ghat in Benares, was described as carrying strong sections on the city as well as critical theory, literary theory and philosophy. (scroll.in) Walking Bookfairs in Bhubaneswar was described as having begun as a bookstore on wheels before becoming a fixed shop. ### What makes these stores different from a chain or an online seller? Scroll said curation is central because independent bookstores cannot stock every new release and instead build identity through selection. The article said location often shapes inventory, citing Dogears’ section on Goa and Harmony’s concentration on Benares. (scroll.in) That model puts browsing and bookseller judgment at the center of the customer experience. Midland Book Shop in Delhi says on its website that it has operated since 1978 and was founded by Mirza Yaseen Baig as a family-run store. The company says its mission is to make books accessible while shaping readers’ lives through recommendations, a formulation that matches Scroll’s emphasis on human curation over scale. (scroll.in) Midland lists its Hauz Khas address in New Delhi on its contact page. Wayword & Wise in Mumbai was described by Scroll in a 2020 profile as a physical bookshop built around an immersive browsing experience rather than online sales. That report said the Fort store held close to 10,000 new, old and rare books and focused on the tactile experience of choosing books in person. (scroll.in) ### How much of this is about events, not just shelves? Scroll’s April 17 feature said bookstores have been using readings, workshops and discussion circles to draw readers back into physical spaces. It cited a recent poetry reading circle at The Bookshop Inc in Delhi where attendees read poems in different languages and discussed them, with translations offered in real time. (midlandbookshop.com) Dhanya Madhavan Nair, a reader quoted by Scroll, said events at Bengaluru’s Higginbothams created “epic literary parties” where readers met one another. Creative writing teacher Maryann Taylor told Scroll that bookstore gatherings tend to be smaller and more personal, helping conversations go deeper and making it easier for strangers to talk. (scroll.in) ### Why does the flood at Bookworm matter in this story? Bookworm’s flooding mattered because Scroll used it as evidence that some bookstores now have communities around them, not just customer lists. The report said patrons wrote to the proprietor, offered support and placed orders after the rainfall damage. It also said people showed up in person the next day to rescue books. (scroll.in) Bookworm Trust, based in Goa, says on its website that it has been a registered charitable trust for more than a decade and aims to inspire a love of reading “as a way of life.” The organization also says it runs programs for children and adults and, in a 2025 post, said its Libraries in Schools program was working across more than 100 schools in Goa. Those details show how some book-centered institutions in India are linking retail, libraries and literacy work. (scroll.in) ### Where can readers see the next step in this coverage? Scroll published the bookstore feature on May 16 on its website under the “Bookshop Love” label, and its April 17 companion piece on bookstore “third spaces” remains available there as well. Midland Book Shop continues to list its New Delhi store and online catalog, including signed books and pre-orders, on its website. (scroll.in) Bookworm Trust also continues to post monthly library calendars and program updates on its site. (bookwormgoa.in)