The bookstore has a relaxed vibe with people at times sitting there for hours reading a book before deciding to purchase it. (Source: Instagram/ Kitab Khana)Kitab Khana, one of the city’s beloved bookstores, celebrated 15 years earlier this month. Amrita Somaiya, the store’s co-founder, spoke to Mohamed Thaver about running a bookstore in an age of reels, what sets Kitab Khana apart and the idea behind it.Q: Tell us something about how Kitab Khana came into existenceMy husband Samir, co-founder of the bookstore, travels around the world and we, as people who love reading, realized that various genres or particular types of books were not available in Mumbai. Since we felt strongly about it and had a ground floor room available in our office building, in 2011, we decided to start a bookstore where books of all genres including regional literature would be available.We did not carry out any market survey and just went by our gut. We would stock a good book even if it sold one copy in six months as long as we felt people would want to read it.We were clear that given the slim margins and readership habits, one cannot rely on a bookstore to make a living. It has been a passion project.The bookstore has a relaxed vibe with people at times sitting there for hours reading a book before deciding to purchase it.We are lucky to have staff that has stuck around for years and have a personal rapport with customers. Our instructions to them is to not to overwhelm customers by following them around. Sometimes the staff would complain that some people sit there for hours without purchasing anything and we told them to let them be as we also look at it as a place created for the reading community. Funnily, many times people have referred to Kitab Khana as a library and I correct them that it is a store.Story continues below this adQ: With shorter attention spans in the era of reels and digital books, how does Kitab Khana fare?While generally people do pit one against the other, it has actually helped the bookstore as there has been tremendous publicity that the store has received thanks to youngsters coming to the store and creating reels where they tag us or share selfies. They have spread the love for the bookstore and we have seen an increase in reach. And be it digital books or audio books, many still prefer buying physical books.Q: What role do you think Kitab Khana plays in the city as many legendary bookstores like Strand are shutting down?Thanks to the popularity it has enjoyed and with social media amplifying it, the store is on the sight-seeing map of the city, and we get many foreign tourists. We see it as a space for the reading community and for a city always on the run, it is a place to find sukoon (peace).Story continues below this adQ: What would you say have been the biggest challenges over the years?I think the 1.5 years during Covid, and the fire at the bookstore around the same time were the most challenging times the bookstore has seen. During Covid, since bookstores were not considered essential, we had started a whatsapp group of regular customers and we delivered the books to them with a skeletal staff.When the fire broke out in December 2020 and water tankers had to be rushed in, the fire, water and smoke damaged the whole place. Around the same time, I lost my father to Covid. He was the one who had designed the bookstore. It was a deeply distressing time.Q: What kind of genres are doing well and who are your popular authors?Story continues below this adGenerally, there is an interest in management books, historical fiction, children and young adult books. In terms of authors, Amitav Ghosh and Ramchandra Guha are always in demand.