Book discussions draw writers to Virsa Vihar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 21

Attending to the needs of the literary community associated with it and also in its attempt to promote the reading culture, Virsa Vihar’s book shop has become a hub for book club meets and discussions on latest Punjabi books launched on its premises. Adding to its literary activities, Virsa Vihar has started book discussion sessions on twice a month basis where noted writers, poets and young readers interact and share their views on vernacular literature and its future.

A first for the city, the initiative has seen support of many young writers, who feel that such initiatives help both sides, readers and writers, to reach out to each other.

“Since the lack of consistent book clubs restrict the scope for interaction between readers, having a month activity ensures that readers are aware of the latest developments and tends in literature, especially regional,” says Tarandeep Singh, a Punjabi poet.

With an estimated number of participants in every meeting, the trend will continue, says Kewal Dhaliwal, president, Virsa Vihar Society. “We get around 60-80 participants every time and sometimes the discussion goes on till several hours. We have been focusing on promoting Punjabi and Hindi literature as there is very less visibility for the genre. The popularity of regional literature has declined due to lack of book clubs in the city. The response so far has given us hope that there is a good readership for the literature.”