Small but Impressive

There’s something special about The Bookshop at Spencer Plaza, which makes a serious book lover like me come back again and again. The very selective range of books, the personal attention and the guidance you get from the gentle Seetharam, the person behind the store.

Quite often you see him engage in a conversation with customers, suggesting similar titles or recommending another author of the same genre. “A bookseller must help the customer select books which he or she will enjoy. You must educate them. This needs a lot of commitment on the part of the bookseller”, he explains.

He keeps in touch with the latest reviews, catalogues and books. And this helps him choose the right kind of books here. Indian religion, art, culture, indology and philosophy takes precedence over fiction. “You can’t be totally business-oriented. It’s unlike other businesses. Here, you’re catering to the mind, so your approach must be sacred”, he points out, adding “books are not a commodity like other products in the market. You’re offering something for the mind – knowledge.

Most of the titles are personally chosen by this literature graduate and Bookshop includes a neat collection of Tamil books – Kalki, Chandiliyan, Akilan, Na Parthasarathy, T. Janakiraman and the like. “I’m proud of the Tamil culture”, he says with a glint in the eyes. This small but focussed Bookshop boasts of a good collection of dictionaries in different tongues, besides stocking an impressive collection on ayurveda, yoga and alternative medicine.

Open seven days a week from 10.30 a.m. – 8.00 p.m. Sundays from 12.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. Spencer Plaza, Phase I, Anna Salai. Ph : 8524419.