Visiting the various book sale stands in the context of the World Book Day could be a good experience for keen students , parents and certainly for book-lovers . While most of them were commonplace, going around the huge pavilion of Kohinoor Bookshop in Curepipe was an unusual encounter with numerous rare titles .

For some time , I felt like John Keats travelling in ?the realms of gold? on his first reading of Chapman?s translation of Homer?s ? Iliad? and ? Odyssey?. What was perhaps different at the Kohinoor Bookshop pavilion was that one could buy at a throw ? away price books rarely to be seen elsewhere. Books on religion ranging from the Bible to the Vedas including the Bhagavadgita , the Koran , the Buddha?s teachings , the Ramayana, the Mahabharata among others were there . Books on diverse subjects were also available besides text/course books.

However , not all leading book-shops of the country took part in the World Book Day celebrations. Because the book trade here largely depends on text / course books and some reference books , most importers and book-sellers have to look to the start of the academic year to place their orders to be in business ; thus, only a few bookshops cater for the generalreading public .

What else can book-sellers do where a reading culture has yet to be developed ? Most students pore over prescribed text-books until they pass their exams and start earning . Once in a job , they simply have no time . Either they are too busy at work and tired after it or they get enrolled on a course in view of prospects for promotion ; others may choose to get married and settle down . But reading books for pleasure, profit and self-improvement is for sure not their interest .

It?s only when this so-called elite group hear others talking of a prize-winning book ? Nobel , Pulitzer , Booker , Commonwealth etc, or a best- seller, that they unwillingly decide to buy it . But even then, this masterpiece is kept on the shelf of their book-case ? their intellectual furniture for later reading is left to gather dust .

In their turn , parents concerned about the their children?s education will hardly miss attending a book fair . They buy books that will help their school- going boys and girls in their reading experience, nay their studies . But these children are so hard- pressed by homework for their teachers that they are left with little or no time for reading . On the other hand , parents themselves in general who want their children to develop a taste for reading are too taken up with this and that in their free time to find space for any sort of reading , even newspapers. In fact, parents should be role models to instil in children the reading culture, very much neglected in comparison to information and communications technology and other leisure pursuits .

And so with the book sale organized at Goodlands some days ago ended this year?s World Book Day celebrations . The interesting annual popular social event that the World Book Day has become brings books nearer to readers. Book- sellers/ importers should venture to make such a manifestation something ongoing . Here Editions de l?Ocean Indien and Kohinoor Bookshop need to be encouraged for their bold initiative of arranging such display even in far- flung localities.They will largely contribute towards promoting tourism and paving the way for our island home to become a knowledge-hub.

Kaviraj SOHUR