Book lovers say there was no one like the founder of Strand Book Stall who passed away recently
Book lovers say there was no one like the founder of Strand Book Stall who passed away recently I am deeply saddened by the death of T N Shanbhag, owner and founder of the Strand Book Stall. I have visited and purchased books from Shanbhag since 1956. He had a way with customers that ensured even those who came "just to have a look" went home with a book.
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home away from home: The iconic Strand Book Stall at Fort |
He could recommend books on a number of disciplines. Books not readily available were obtained with utmost speed. Always immaculately attired in a suit and matching tie, Shanbhag had a Pickwickian personality with a paunch, a shining dome and was perennially in smiles.
At Strand, I have met some very famous people. I have books autographed at the store by Satyajit Ray, Vikram Seth, Pico Iyer, R K Laxman, B R Nanda and Dominique Lapierre.
He once said that "a book seller acts as a catalyst between a book and the reading habit". I mourn the loss of a very good friend, the true disciple of Goddess Saraswati.
An institutionT N Shanbhag was possibly the most dependable guide a bibliophile could access in Mumbai ever since he started the Strand Book Stall in a cinema kiosk. Shanbhag himself was a voracious reader who had the gift to assess the potential and depth of a quality work.
After he shifted to the Fort area from Strand cinema, his book stall became an important venue visited by well known book lovers, writers, editors andu00a0 intellectuals.
He thought less about profits and more of imparting wisdom.
Personally, I owe my small collection of books, which consists of works from classicists to post-modernists, entirely to him. To surf volumes after volumes of books kept in no particular order at the Strand shop under the studied guidance of Shanbhag was an invaluable experience.
With Shanbhag's demise, a unique institution that he was himself, has come to an end.
Goodbye, my friendWhen my family and I came to Bombay in 1977, I was impacted by three things. The vast sea, the liberal attitude of the Mumbaikar and the Strand Book Stall. And since the Strand was synonymous with dear Mr Shanbhag, I was deeply impacted by him.
Strand was a meeting place, a peaceful reading room, a browsing room where I never felt that I had overstayed my welcome.
The discounted prices, the ability of the shop to locate rare books, the knowledge Shanbhag had and shared unstintingly, and his ever smiling face kept me coming back for more.
Some years later, I wrote a book and printed it myself. Not knowing what to do, I took it to my friend, Shanbhag. He did not make me feel foolish even as he explained gently that self published books don't get very far. He kept the book in his shop however, praised it and eventually found me someone to distribute it. So, it was Mr Shanbhag who launched my writing career.
Every one involved with the written word will feel the void left by him. Goodbye, dear friend, we'll miss you.u00a0
