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
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Govt working to minimise impact of global conflicts on people, Cong trying to create panic: PM
Silchar (PTI): Asserting that the Centre was working to minimise the impacts of global conflicts on the people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that the opposition Congress was acting "irresponsibly" by trying to create panic in the country.
Addressing a public meeting in Assam's Silchar after unveiling projects worth over Rs 23,550 crore, Modi alleged that the Congress had ignored the development of the Northeast for decades, and allowed a drawing of the border during Independence that cut off Barak Valley's access to the sea.
"As the world is facing wars, our effort is to minimise their impact on the people of the country. The Congress should have performed the role of a responsible political party, but it failed to do so. It is trying to create panic among the people," he alleged.
"They do not have any vision either for Assam or the nation, but only know how to abuse Modi, spread rumours, lies, and create false reels to mislead people," he claimed.
Modi also took on the Congress over its shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi last month, accusing the party of defaming the nation.
"The entire world is interested in AI, and the successful summit in Delhi was attended by global leaders, tech companies and their heads. But, the Congress tried to embarrass the country by indulging in a 'kapda phar' (tearing of clothes) exhibition," he said.
Modi said the entire country condemned "this vulgar" protest, but the "royal family of the Congress" is "patting themselves on the back".
"Congress is left with nothing but to tear its own clothes," he added.
Alleging that the Congress engages in activities against the nation's interest, the PM said it can never ensure the welfare of the people of any state.
"Congress is losing one election after another, and in the near future, the party will hit a century of its losses. The despair of its losses has led it to open a front against the nation, and its leaders are busy defaming the country," he said.
Modi alleged that the Congress kept the Northeast away from both "dil (heart) and Delhi", ensuring that development did not reach the region's people, leaving them mired in violence and backwardness.
"Just as the Congress left the Northeast on its own, in a similar way, it played a major role in weakening the Barak Valley. When India became Independent, Congress allowed a border to be drawn that cut off Barak Valley's access to the sea," he alleged.
"Barak Valley, once known as an industrial centre, was stripped of its very strength. For decades after Independence, Congress governments remained in power, yet the region saw little development. Today, the BJP government is working to change that," he added.
Modi said connectivity is being developed in the Barak Valley to link it to other parts of the Northeast and West Bengal.
"It will be developed as a big logistics and trade hub of the region," he said, noting that Barak Valley is also at the centre of the government's Act East Policy and will be a bridge connecting India with Southeast Asia.
The PM alleged that Congress misguided Assam's youth into paths of violence and terrorism, while the BJP has ensured the state becomes a place of unlimited opportunities where they can reach for the sky.
"Where Congress stops thinking, we start working," he said, noting that the BJP's mantra is to give priority to those left behind in development.
"Assam's youth have immense opportunities in the semiconductor and technology sectors. The current era of peace and progress has been achieved through immense sacrifices, which must be protected from regressive forces," he said.
Modi said education, skill development, and healthcare have become the primary pillars of the government's development thrust.
Assam is rapidly emerging as a health hub, with AIIMS and cancer hospitals now forming a strong network, he said.
The PM said that during the Congress rule, the border villages were considered the "last villages", but his government views them as the nation's "first villages".
"The second phase of the Vibrant Village Program has begun from the Cachar district and is already bringing visible improvements to border areas. The historical neglect of these areas is now being replaced by proactive development and strategic focus," he said.
The PM said the state government has performed a "historical duty" by granting land rights to thousands of families of tea garden workers.
"Granting of land rights is not only a legal security that ensures dignity, but will now also allow these families to access central schemes for housing, electricity, and water," he said.
Referring to former PM Manmohan Singh, Modi said he represented Assam for 10 years but did not give a single paise to the farmers of the state, whereas the BJP has given them more than Rs 20,000 crore.
"The region's journey of progress is now unstoppable, supported by its rich language and culture. The development projects inaugurated today are just the beginning of a new era for the Barak Valley," he said.
At the programme, the PM took part in the 'bhoomi poojan' for the Rs 22,864-crore access-controlled expressway between Silchar in Cachar district and Shillong in Meghalaya, the first of its kind in the Northeast.
The 166-km four-lane greenfield high-speed corridor will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar from 295 km to 252 km, cutting travel time from 8.5 hours to around 5 hours, officials said.
Modi also took part in the 'bhoomi poojan' for an elevated corridor on NH-306, from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar, which will be constructed at Rs 565 crore.
This project aims to alleviate congestion on one of Silchar's busiest roads, improve links with neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, and contribute to the economic development of the Barak Valley, officials said.
The PM also laid the foundation stone for the Rs 122-crore College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Karimganj district.
These are part of projects worth Rs 47,800 crore that the PM unveiled in the state since Friday.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal were among those present at the programme.
