Popular novelist ignites romance of reading

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 2: Popular writer Ravinder Singh, known for his romantic novels, is in the city to interact with youngsters and to inspire them to read books as part of a unique meet-the-author initiative by Walking Bookfairs.

As part of the three-day-long 'Read With Ravinder' programme, the author of I Too Had a Love Story has met hundreds of young fans at some of the prominent educational institutes and at the mobile bookstore operated by Walking Bookfairs.

He dropped in at the Xavier Institute of Management (XIM) and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) yesterday. Today, he interacted with students at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) campus.

"Reading gives us experiences that we never had or may not have for ourselves and yet understand every bit of a situation or event through a book. It is true that books are the window to the world," he told visitors at the mobile bookstore. "It is romance that attracts young readers to books. In fact, while it is thought that we authors can inspire readers, it is actually the other way round. We are inspired by readers, and this unique series of interaction with youngsters is helping me understand what they wish to read."

Singh's debut book, I Too Had a Love Story, is based on his real-life experience. The writer, who often visits Bhubaneswar, grew up in Sambalpur and his love for the state remains as strong as ever.

The young readers were excited to meet the author.

Apart from collecting his autograph, they took tips from him on how to maintain a balance between reading academic books and cultivating reading as a hobby. "He gave us some wonderful tips on how to increase our reading speed and asked us to read for at least an hour every day," said Shweta Mahapatra, a NIFT student.

Singh will meet the students at IIT Bhubaneswar and the employees of Infosys tomorrow. He will also meet book buyers at the Walking Bookfairs Café and Bookstore in Chandrasekharpur.

"We have been working towards promoting book reading and this unique campaign is a part of our efforts," said Satabdi Mishra, founder of Walking Bookfairs.

"The response has been great to Ravinder's meetings at institutions, and if we can make more regular readers out of students, that will be the best form of success," said Akshaya Rautray, the co-founder of the bookstore.