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Yellow pages that tell old tales
SOMIKA BASU
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For K.K.S. Murthy, the owner of Select Bookshop, an old book is more than a business proposition. It is something that brings alive memories of a distinct personality or a period of time.
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K.K.S. Murthy with his customers at Select Bookshop.
SELECT BOOKSHOP is a rare, antiquarian book store. Situated on a bylane off the bustling Brigade Road, much has been written about this shop since its inception in 1945. Founded by the late K.B.K. Rao, the shop is now run by his son, K.K.S. Murthy.
Book lovers rave about this unpretentious and unglamorous bookstore. The space at the shop, with its shelves packed with books, is so limited that customers have to literally jostle with one another for standing room.
Mr. Murthy, a quiet bespectacled man, patiently hears out a customer's request. Though his collection is colossal,
he always seems to know just where to look for a certain volume. He says: "Each book has a memory associated with it, a different personality, and belongs to an entirely distinct time period. We have books dating as far back as 18th Century. Personally, I am drawn towards art and literature on art.'' He stands for the motto: Old books at ancient prices.
There are books on education, Egyptology, health, art, history, politics, humour and satire, philosophy and religion, psychic science and psychology, and folklore. There are memoirs and anthologies. These books spill out from every conceivable corner, and alcoves. They are stacked on even desks and chairs.
Some publications are light and fragile, while others are bulky and heavy. But each one is invaluable. The more remote the possibility of securing a particular book, the more are the chances that Mr. Murthy will gently hand it over to you.
Select Bookshop specialises in precious antiquarian volumes and second hand bargains, but Mr. Murthy is also known to source a recent publication for his customers, should they request him to do so. He reveals that all his extremely rare books are kept in his "kitchen'' for safekeeping. Here, one is confronted with an overwhelming selection of antique first editions, with yellow and brittle pages.
The bookshop also has newspapers dating as far back as 1900 in English as well as in Kannada. There are books on
silverwork, architecture, and those that make one reminisce about the old city of Bangalore. A French book dating back to 1758, and a priced edition of Murder Off Miami complete with old telegrams, radiograms, and handwritten letters are found in this store. One also finds here old maps and lithographs.
It also has an interesting book about tree planting in India during the reign of King George VI. It has a detailed
account of each tree planted in every district in the country. One also finds here an autographed copy of Tagore's Gitanjali.
Mr. Murthy soon plans to convert the first floor of the bookshop into an art gallery. "Bangalore has immense potential in terms of art, and this would be my way of providing aspiring artists with a place to exhibit their work. In fact, I want to promote paintings and handicrafts,'' explains Mr. Murthy.
The bookshop also has its own publishing banner — Select Books. It has already published non-fictional works such as Time and Eternity, Language of the Self, Treasures of Buddhism, Understanding Islam, and Christianity and Islam. Select Books is now ready to unveil its own Kannada publication wing.
The shop rarely advertises and has not fallen prey to large- scale commercialism. It relies mostly on word-of-mouth publicity, and is content with the selective clientele that trickles into the store. Mr. Murthy also receives orders from all over the country and often makes trips to remote districts in search of specific editions of books, sometimes mailing it to his outstation customers.
His passion for literature and unique books has won him a dedicated clientele consisting of illustrious booklovers from all over the country as well as expatriates who religiously visit the bookshop whenever circumstances bring them to Bangalore.
The price range is as diverse as the assortment of books and can be as reasonable as Rs. 10 and can also go as high as Rs. 10,000. The bookshop can be contacted on 5580770.
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Bangalore
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