The Enduring Charm Of Independent Bookstores, Hindustan Times

For many years now, I have spent much of my time, and most of my money, on books bought in stores owned by individuals rather than corporations. Within India, I had four favourite bookstores; Premier’s in Bangalore, Fact & Fiction in Delhi, Ram Advani in Lucknow, and Giggles in Chennai.

The store I knew best was Premier’s, run by T. S. Shanbhag off Church Street, in the heart of the city. Shanbhag was a book lover’s delight; he knew his customers and their tastes so well that one would be gen...