Mall road is one of my favorite areas of Lahore and I have some wonderful childhood memories associated with it. There is no other road like it which we all love here in Lahore, probably because it’s so close to the heart of the old city.
Yesterday while driving around the mall road, I decided to look for a book shop and buy 3 books which were long pending in one of my wish-list. So driving slowly, I started to recall the old books shops where I used to buy books with my father when I was a little kid. To my great surprise and shock, I could only find Maqbool Academy which is located in famous Diyal Singh Mansion and Feroz Sons. All the other old book shops were either closed or they had changed their line of business.
First, I couldn’t believe that all those lovely book shops I once loved are really gone one by one but then I realized it had to happen, keeping in mind the ever dwindling lack of interest in reading book in our society. General public has lost interest in book reading and for sellers it is no longer a profitable business.
There used to be atleast 10 book shops at Mall Road only just 8 or 10 years ago but only TWO exist now.
For example, there used to be one small book shop near Regal Cinema gate inside the small lane (I forgot its name), where there are two flower vendors now. Also there was the Imperial Book Depot and across from Regal used to be the Classic Book House. Then across from Cathedral and High court was Russian Book House.
But my favorite was a small book shop at Regal, just on the left of Shireen Mehal. I think its name was Mirza Book Agency and not only they used to have the best ever collection of children’s edition of famous novels but also The Hardy Boys and every other comic collection. I still remember my father got me a pocket sized version of Charles Dickens ‘A Tale of Two Cities‘ from there long long time ago. This shop not only sold old books at low, affordable prices but they had a special taste in Urdu literature. The owner of that shop introduced me to some of the finest writers of Urdu literature and I can’t thank him enough for doing that (if only I can find him now).
Yes, Feroz Sons were there too but they were never in my good book atleast. First I never had so much money to spend when I was a kid and Feroz Sons were very expansive, still are I think. Second, I don’t know why but I loved old books. I guess old books smell different :). So I always ended up at my favorite shop at Regal or Maqbool Academy and hey Bible Society had a lot to offer. But for me the best of them was Maqbool Academy because I could make use of 50% discount scheme by National Book Foundation which was huge relief for people like me. I don’t know if this scheme still exists.
I also recall people who would sell old books from defunct British collections, on a rug in the mud. My cousin once forced me to buy George Orwell’s ‘Keep the Aspidistra Flying‘ for Rs. 10 which he then took with him to England. All gone. But I have seen a few such people in Anarkali and Bible Society even now.
Its a pity that, for whatever reasons, people have stopped reading books over the years. I don’t know if I am quoting right or not but I think it was in To Kill a Mockingbird that someone said in some connection with reading, “One doesn’t learn how to breatheâ€Â?.
Darwaish blogs on his own blog la vie en rose and also contributes to Metroblog Lahore, where a version of this post first appeared.
While I don’t have any childhood memories of going book-shopping in Lahore (largely because I wasn’t based in lahore then), but my experience last year hunting for good books on the Mall was similar. My dad and I decided that lets go to the mall and do some nice book shopping. So went and what a disappointment that was! Forget the couple of small bookshops that were around, the state of Forezsons was pathetic! Out of date, limited and expensive book supply. And the place was dark and dusty! It was HUGE disappointment.
I shifted to Islamabad a couple of month ago and I discovered much to my delight that things are comparatively better. My last visit to Saeed Book Bank was heartening and I waiting for my next paycheck, then it’s treat time! :D
Darwaish Sahib,
The topic you address here brings back so many memories. I grew up in Lahore as a book lover with an always meager budget and frequented may of the bookstores you mention. Ferozsons was and remains a good bookstore but I always found it cold and forbidding. It seemed to be a bookstore for the rich. However, there were bookstores in other parts of town where I used to get my fix as well: Iqbal Book Corner & Anees Book Depot (in Main Market, Gulberg) and Vanguard (on Davis Road). Now when I visit Lahore I have discovered that three of the better current bookstores are Kim’s (at the entrance of the Lahore Museum across from Kim’s Gun), Sang-e-Meel Publications (on Lower Mall near Government College Lahore) and Oxford University Press store (on the intersection of Jail road & Main Boulevard).
However, sadly Lahore is no longer the intellectual center it once was. It is not just that there are fewer people who care about reading books, it is also that the general deterioration of intellectual life in the last few decades is now evident in the number of quality books written, transalted, read or debated. The creeping religious intolerance and fundamentalism has probably played the largest role but deterioration of esteemed educational institutions is also a major cause. This article “Bookless in Lahore” by Yoginder Sikand made me despondent but reflects the general reality of intellectual life in modern day Pakistan (not just Lahore).
To be fair there are some new signs of life in Lahore’s intellectual firmament but a lot more time and effort is required to get Lahore back to even a shade of its pre-partition zenith.
Darwaish!!!!
kya yaad kara dia!!
i remember the 1984-1992 era! offcourse the pre-internet era!schools i guess my especially used to encourage the students to read an read an read!it helped to increase my vocabulary!
The OLD BOOK BANK 1 and 2 in Rawalpindi cantt saddar!!!! i have fond memories of finding “hardy boys”series ,the cricketer magazine,TIME mags story books readers digest an when ever i used to go there it used be really flocked with ppl!but in late 90’s an 00’s the trend fell as internet came in i guess ppl left i mean the young generation the old timers still cherish a old book!like i found a 1981 edition of “if i am assasinated” by Z A Bhutto on the Bank Road Saddar for just 15 Rs LOL! and new books like “Brief History of time” by S.Hawking in just 25 Rs and they werent pirated they were international editions!
i Guess sports and reading got diminished from our society witht he coming of internet!internet gave society alot but has taken much more from the young kids i guess parents elders shud check on the young generation wat they do on internet and shud make them indulge into activities that help in their future building!this is my assumption i can be wrong!
Darwaish real nice post!! keep it up!
Nice post, brought back memories.
Well, some of the book shops have moved to newer areas. There are some new shops that are very good. I know there are a few very well stocked one in Islamabad certainly. Also, teh type of books have changed, much more computer stuff now and also knock-offs of self-help type books. Not that much literature either in Urdu or English.
Oh yeah I’m so much in love with the “Old Books” phenomena too … somehow lahore or islamabad I’d always be looking for an old book shop … seems like you are locked into a treasure chest with a hidden treasure to hunt for :)
Today’s youth is always in find for E-Books … or other E-stuff … but the fun of a hard copy is, indeed, totally “hat kay” …!