Book Towns: Forty-five Paradises of the Printed Word by Alex Johnson
Book of the week
Book Towns
Forty-five Paradises of the Printed Word
Author: Alex Johnson
Publisher: Frances Lincoln (UK)
Book towns are part of a growing global movement. In hamlets, villages and towns around the world, like-minded booksellers, calligraphers, bookbinders, curators, publishers and architects are coming together to create this new world. This is the first book bring all of these book towns together, offering a unique history of each one. A book town is simply a small town, usually rural and scenic, full of bookshops and book related industries.
The movement started with Richard Booth in Hay-on-Wye in Wales in 1960s. From the start, the driving force has been to encourage sustainable tourism and help regenerate communities faced with economic collapse and soaring unemployment. The results of the book town crusaders are have been impressive. They are attracting more visitors who then stay in the local hostels and guest houses, dine in the local eateries go shopping in the town shops and gradually rebuild the local economy.
Although they all operate independently, many are members of the International Organisation of Book Towns. The IOBT aims to raise interesting the book town ethos and runs a biennial festival in one of the member towns.
Inevitably not all book towns have stayed the course. But on the brighter side, new locations are in the pipeline. Indian authorise have recently begun what they hope will become a ‘book village’ network. This book documents two Indian examples namely Bhilar, Maharashtra and College Street, in Kolkata.
Simple and straightforward illustration on the cover represents the content well. Profusely printed photographs of the book towns from around the globe are spectacular. Alex has given picture credits to more than a hundred twenty photographers in the book! The paper used, the size of the book (21mm x 16mm), book design, the fonts used collectively makes the book tempting to any prospective bibliophile.
The author, Alex Johnson is a journalist and blogger. He has many interesting titles to his credit. A Book of Book Lists, Improbable libraries, Bookshelf, and Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution are to list a few. He lives in St Albans with his wife, three children, and plenty of books from all over the world.
At a time when libraries are an endangered species and independent bookshops struggle agains many odes, book towns are beacons of hope in the fight to keep the traditions book alive. Please visit them and buy a book or two.
(Adapted from the introduction)
Auswaf Ahsan
WhatsApp: +918089821521
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Appointment based on performance: K'taka BJP chief Vijayendra rubbishes "dynasty politics" charge
Bengaluru: Rubbishing criticism, especially from within the party, that he is a product of 'dynasty politics', Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra said he has been appointed to the post based on his performance and commitment, and not just because he is the son of veteran leader B S Yediyurappa.
His primary objective as the party president is to consolidate BJP's base pan-Karnataka, he said as he also asserted that people want to see Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister for the third term, and no factors including Congress government's guarantee schemes will come in the way of this.
"I would have agreed with Eshwarappa or Yatnal's statements, if I had been appointed as the party President by Yediyurappa himself, but I'm president because of the decision of the national leadership, not by Yediyurappa," Vijayendra told PTI in an interview.
Responding to senior party leaders K S Eshwarappa and Basangouda Patil Yatnal's repeated attacks on him accusing him of being a product of "dynasty politics", he said, "So they have to understand this fact."
"Appointing me as the party president was decided six months after the assembly election (May 2023). Lot of thinking process has been undertaken before taking the decision." Vijayendra said his selection has got nothing to do with Yediyurappa.
"I'm proud to say that I'm the son of Yediyurappa. Today my party cadres are happy to see me as their president. I'm travelling across the state. If the party has appointed me it is based on my performance, my commitment towards the party in the last 12 years. I have not been elevated just because I'm the son of Yediyurappa. Everyone should understand this," he said, adding that when the central leadership has appointed him, repeatedly discussing this issue is not going to help the party.
Asked whether ensuring a BJP sweep in Lok Sabha polls is key to consolidating his position and to silence critics, Vijayendra said, his aim is not just limited to parliamentary elections or the next zilla panchayat elections.
"My main aim is to expand the party, and I will continue to do that."
"My mandate or instructions to me or my aim is to expand my party base in Karnataka. Because once upon a time it was a bastion for BJP among southern states, but for some reason, we have lost that space. So my primary objective or aim as the party president is to consolidate my party base pan-Karnataka, especially in the old Mysuru region and Hyderabad (Kalyana) Karnataka," he said.
Noting that for 30-40 years, Yediyurappa was an undisputed leader of Karnataka BJP and his reach cannot be matched, as he was a mass leader, Vijayendra responding to a question about party facing dearth of leaders said, quite naturally that nobody can fill in that space, and now is the time where young leadership has to be nurtured.
"That's the reason why the party has given me the opportunity. It is my duty to ensure that more and more (youngsters) come to the front and take lead in the party. I will ensure it at all the levels, it is a collective leadership."
"It is a new phase for state BJP, minus Yediyurappa's leadership, is a big challenge, it is a big task, we have to grow along with this," he added.
The state BJP chief said that the high command will decide on taking action against senior leader Eshwarappa, who has rebelled against the party and is contesting as independent candidate from Shimoga, against his brother B Y Raghavendra.
"Party workers are questioning Eshwarappa today. He is contesting in Shimoga because his son couldn't get a ticket from Haveri. Candidates for all the constituencies were decided by the national leadership based on performance of sitting MPs, opinion of 'Karyakartas' through NaMo app."
"Based on various parameters, high command has decided. It is not Vijayendra or Yediyurappa who have decided the candidates," he said.
"Raghavendra, who is a sitting MP, and is known for development, will win with a margin of over two lakh votes," he added.
Expressing happiness that all the differences within the party over candidate selection have been resolved and cadres are working for the official nominees, Vijayendra said, it is quite natural to have more aspirants when the party is bound to come back to power. "BJP had more than 6-8 aspirants in almost every Lok Sabha constituency. That is the amount of confidence people have in Modi's leadership."
To hide their failures Siddaramaiah is blaming the central government, he said. 'They accuse the central government of not releasing (drought relief) funds, but when there was floods during Yediyurapps's (as CM) term he did not wait for central funds, he paid from the state's exchequer (for immediate relief)."
"CM (Siddaramaiah) is doing injustice and insulting people of Karnataka."
"Everything is in black and white -- tax devolution, grants -- Karnataka has received. State government is in fact stalling the central projects fearing credit will go to Modi," he alleged.
