What could be a better treat
than drinking and eating while reading? Necessity is the mother of all invention,
so a saying goes. This thought struck my mind when my plan to transform Dorokha
into a small literary home failed miserably.
A year ago I got inspired, proposed
and finally materialized a small public library in Dorokha with around 500 books received as generous help
from Writers Association of Bhutan, Mr. Ngawang Phuntsho, Mr. Passang Tshering,
Mr. CB Rai and all others kind supporter. A little over a year from its inauguration I have around
450 costumers of which 85% constitute the students. Sitting in my book café I watch people prefer
bar over books, get drunk rather than divine, spend so much on drinks overlooking
the books and my little free service dedicated to 1. National Reading Year 2015
2. 60th Birth Anniversary of the great Forth and 3.To keep reading
habit alive.
As my dream faded further and
my book café became a little abandoned book museum, I got to make a second
move. I love a cup of tea to treat my times over books while some may prefer a
cold drink, or some may love books over food or why not drinks? No wonder some
great writers were notorious drinkers such as F. Scott
Fitzgerald, Hunter S. Thompson, and John Cheever, to name a few LOL.
As a
business opportunity and a new approach to promoting books and reading culture I
have planned to loan out(cost free)the café to an enthusiastic educated and unemployed
youth. So the person could established a literary restaurant which could earn a
little more than living for the person, my café will have a permanent librarian
and my café turned abandoned book museum will have visitors finally.
This is
a small trial I am planning in a very small and secluded place like Dorokha but
I foresee a better success in a town like Thimphu and Phuntsholing where literacy
rate is almost 100% and number of intellectuals outnumbers the whole population of
Dorokha Drungkhag. City like Thimphu caters all needs for youths and adults
alike but not for book lovers except for a black coffee the Junction Books
offer.
NOTE:
hope somebody takes it up as a business and a new approach to promoting books
and reading.
