I hear about people not being interested in books or reading. I think back to my time growing up in different places where I encountered avid readers. These were times and places (1980s Bombay, 1990s Bangalore, 2000s Chengdu) where people were curious. I also felt people juxtaposing life situations with narratives from a book a lot more.
If we want people to read more, then as readers, we must show up at more venues and talk to more people. And when they talk about something in their life, point them to a writing (book, essay, article) that connects with their situation. Maybe they will pick up on it.
For example, when I talk to a younger friend about losing interest in doing something merely to keep up appearances (as I grow older), I mention the burnt-out journalist in “The Quiet American.” Or when I urge campuses to open up their spaces to the public, I share Oscar Wilde’s short story “The Selfish Giant.” Once in a while, I do hear back from someone who is intrigued enough to pick up on these references.
Also, I don’t want to be a purist. I really don’t care if my contacts read the whole book. Sometimes I send them a page or a paragraph that relates to something that we discussed. Or a movie, or a podcast that relates to the topic.
In my book meets these days, I invite people to share other media too - podcast episodes, music, movies, short-form articles, research papers, and newsletters that they found interesting. We call it “What are you reading, listening, watching?” I feel this is more accessible and less elitist.
At our last meet, another patron at the cafe crashed our meetup. I had met her earlier while queuing up to order. She got curios about the book I had in my hand and started talking to me. She showed us the book she was reading. The author lived during the colonial times and compared the character of French (and other Western people) and Vietnamese people. His thesis was that the French were more interested in commerce, while the Vietnamese people were content in the spiritual realm. Our new friend felt that the role has reversed in modern times with the excessive materialism in the Vietnamese, and her western friends preferring minimalism.
We had an interesting discussion about the rise of nationalism among the youth in Vietnam. The new friend, who was the youngest amongst us, felt that the nationalism was a farce, it was just a way for people to belong to some group. We were lucky we must such a perceptive person who was happy to share her life with us, and she came to us because she saw a book in my hand. Having a book on me all the time is another trigger. Sometimes, people around get interested in what I am reading we have a little chat.
Our occasional book meet in Phnom Penh.
Notes:
I have seen more book meetups emerging after COVID.
A recent example:
I was having a conversation with a new found friend about how people start feeling unappreciated in the society. A few days later, I found this passage in the book “Untold Night and Day” by Bae Suah. I sent the screen shot to my friend.
An earlier bookmeet in Saigon
And in Phnom Penh
Join us next time. Look for upcoming meets at https://caravanserai.me/
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