Mayank and Rajesh, two colleagues, were once entrenched in the bustling corporate world of Delhi. Their days were filled with deadlines and board meetings, but a shared passion for reading and travel ignited a daring decision that would transform their lives.
In a bold move, Mayank and Rajesh left their corporate jobs behind in November 2023. However, they faced the challenge of deciding what to do next. “We decided we would first leave our homes, go somewhere, and figure out what to do,” Mayank tells MT. “We actually wanted to come to Northeast India. I used to work here before but never really got to travel”.
The two friends arrived in the Northeast this year, bought a bike in Assam because they loved to travel, and began their journey. “We have now traveled around 15,000 km over the past 5-6 months,” said Mayank. He laughed, recalling, “And then the money got over.”
This was when their love for reading sparked an idea. Mayank mentioned that they had previously started a venture called ‘Bookish Centre,’ which was related to books and operated as an e-commerce platform. “We decided to organize a book fair. We agreed that whatever city we pass through during our travels, we would hold a book fair.”
According to Mayank, while many large companies or book stalls organize fairs in the Northeast, they tend to focus only on major cities like Shillong, neglecting smaller towns. “They don’t visit third-tier cities, so Rajesh and I decided that we would not leave any city behind. We want to promote reading everywhere. People are more into mobile phones, so this is an attempt to encourage a reading culture,” added Mayank.
Mayank noted that other book fairs often feature expensive boxes priced around Rs 1500, which many college students find it difficult to purchase. “We wanted to reach out to maximum people, so we didn’t do that. We sell the book by weight. For example, 4-5 books might weigh 1 kg. There’s no minimum purchase requirement; people can buy any book they want.”
Emphasizing that their primary goal is traveling, Mayank mentioned they will head to Aizawl following the fair in Mokokchung, scheduled for 8 and 9 August. The duo had previously visited Dimapur and Kohima before arriving in Mokokchung. Reflecting on their experiences in Kohima and Dimapur, Mayank observed that people in the region love reading.
“In Delhi, book fairs are successful due to the large population, but here, with around 1 lakh people, we don’t expect as much business. We are more interested in traveling. But we had a good experience.”
Insisting that their primary goal is more to do with travel, Mayanak said they will go to Aizawl following the fair in Mokokchung which will be on 8 and 9 August.
Regarding the book selection, Mayank said the fair will feature a mixed category of fiction, non-fiction, novels, and books for kids. “The book fair in Mokokchung is only for two days, so we cannot display all the books. We have around 10 tonnes of books. In Kohima, even with 8 days, we couldn’t display all the books. I’m not sure which boxes we can provide, but there will be Manga, bestsellers, new releases, and a variety of books.”
Mayank, currently in Mokokchung, is preparing for the book fair scheduled to be held in Aongza Ki on 8 and 9 August 2024, from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.
