Visitors at the Walking Book Fair in Koraput. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 20: During their short stay in Koraput district last month, two friends — both avid readers — were appalled to see the condition of school libraries and a general lack of interest in books among youngsters, there.

That was when the duo, who are from Bhubaneswar, came up with the idea of Walking Book Fair that aim to take books, cinema and photography to cities and remote villages.

Akshaya Kumar Rautaray, 33, who has worked in the book business for more than three years and Satabdi Mishra, 31, a freelance writer and photographer, are now travelling in Koraput and conducting small book fairs and film screenings for people in towns and villages. They wish to inculcate a healthy reading habit in both children and adults.

“We must start at the grassroots, because it is pertinent that good books reach even the remotest village in the state,” said Satabdi, who has also worked in the advertising sector. They are selling new books at a discounted price to lure in the passers by.

The duo are also organising book and poetry-reading sessions, storytelling, story writing, photography and creative writing workshops for young children.

“Children must be encouraged to look beyond the school curriculum to bolster their imagination. We are engaging them in fun activities and explaining their teachers and parents about the importance of reading for pleasure,” said Akshaya, who quit his job recently to give his full time and energy to his project.

They are also using the medium of cinema by screening critically acclaimed films such as Shyam Benegal’s Mammo and Vishal Bhardwaj’s The Blue Umbrella at various schools and colleges.

They started with a shoestring budget and are facing problems in carrying the books to remote villages that have no proper roads or modes of communication.

Another hurdle for them is convincing people that books can also be read for sheer pleasure in places where only textbooks are sought after.

But Akshaya and Satabdi are hopeful that their endeavours would bring the people closer to books.

After touring across Koraput, they intend to venture into other districts with their labour of love.