Creating a worthy memory
Jigar Hindocha
Pune: Anand Solanki who runs Solanki Book Seller’s shop in Camp on Moledina Road loves to give readers a personal experience by organising ‘Meet the Author’ programme, through which readers can know the author better.
The book store was established in 1989 in Camp by Anand Solanki’s father Kanhaiyyalal Solanki. Anand has called many authors to his shop and every meeting has turned out to be memorable.
“We like to call the author and make him or her speak about his or her book. People who are interested in reading love to talk to authors. That is the reason people find the “meet the author programme interesting. I have been running this programme for the last five years,” said Solanki.
Akshat Gupta, author of the book Hidden Hindu, Swami Puranchaitaya Ji who has written the book Looking Inward, and Chef Anahita Dhondy who released the book Parsi Kitchen are a few names who have visited Pune in the last 9 months.
“What I have witnessed is, that readers always have an excitement in talking to their favourite authors and in the last five years I have always got positive responses for this activity,” added Solanki.
Recently, Barkha Dutt, a noted journalist visited Solanki Book Seller’s shop to talk about her book – To hell and back.
“The people were very happy as Barkha Dutt gave around 30 minutes to people, talking to them and giving signed copies of her new book,” said Anand Solanki, owner of the bookstall.
Dutt was overwhelmed after receiving the traditional Pune welcome –Puneri Pagdi (Turban), Shawl, frame of Ganpati Baba and coconut which is considered auspicious.
“Dutt met every person with a lot of love and affection and interacted with them. The visitors were happy receiving autographs” said Solanki.
