One for the books

Celebs worldwide are now leading a reading renaissance.

- Ananya Rai

In the days of yore, when I was a little kid—not so long ago, mind you—my mother imparted to me a bit of tongue-in-cheek wisdom: “Befriend those who dwell amidst tomes aplenty.” Though I struggled to fully grasp her jesting profundity, I took her advice to heart. Now, as an adult, I am eager to pass on this invaluable insight to my own children (when the time comes).

To me, books are the litmus test of intellect, the barometer of erudition, the very emblem of cerebral prowess! The act of reading, of imbibing wisdom inscribed within books, is hailed as a venerable skill. Throughout history, books have also been badges of status. The ancient Roman philosopher Seneca wrote about his distaste towards people who owned a lot of books but who didn’t actually read. Even British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood once quipped, “A status symbol is a book. A very easy book to read is The

Catcher in the Rye. Walk around with that under your arm, kids. That is your status.” For centuries, access to books also remained restricted to individuals belonging to lower castes and classes—an injustice that Rassundari Devi bravely confronted with her groundbreaking autobiography, Amar Jiban (My Life), published in 1876.