Making Pakistan Read Again’

Erum Sultan and Kamila Rahim Habib, co-founders of a Pakistani digital library ‘My Bookshelf’, speak to BOLD in this exclusive interview.

BOLD: What inspired you to set up My Bookshelf?

Erum Sultan and Kamila Rahim Habib: The idea for My Bookshelf was born out of our own frustration at the lack of trending titles available in Pakistan. We would have friends or family send us books from overseas. The amount we have paid in extra baggage is also another story!

After doing this for years, it struck us that many avid readers would probably be facing the same issue. Once we launched and saw the demand in the market and the instant response we got, we made our motto ‘Make Pakistan Read Again’.

The benefits of reading span so many various areas of one’s life that we wanted to share the joy that we ourselves felt.

What purpose does a digital library serve in a society where physical libraries attract little attention and reading for pleasure isn’t widely encouraged?

My Bookshelf is truly the best of both worlds. One cannot deny that times are changing, as are consumer preferences. Social media and digital platforms are here to stay and so our business strikes a balance between the physical and the digital space. Our titles are on our website, but we deliver physical books to our members nationwide. Libraries here have attracted little attention because they are not marketed well, and they do not carry the books that people want to read. We have made it part of our mission to encourage reading for pleasure among adults and children.

What were some of the initial challenges you encountered while setting up My Bookshelf? How did you overcome them?

One big challenge has been sourcing books such as new releases, trending books and books that are not available here. The ones that are available are so expensive that it is out of the price range of most people. In our effort to curb piracy, however, we still insist on carrying original books only. This has not been an easy decision.

The other challenge was getting a website developed that had some sort of library management software that enabled us to track our books and  also to track membership expiry, overdue books, etc.

What’s the audience you had in mind for My Bookshelf? Do you believe your customer base has evolved over the years?

Our audience was initially anyone who likes to read. As we’ve grown over the years, we’ve come to know our target market better. Our customer base has evolved to include a lot more parents who are borrowing books for their children.

What are some of the most surprising discoveries you’ve made about people’s reading habits in Pakistan through the initiative? Do people want to read books by local or international authors?

People love thrillers and romances! There is equal demand for books by both local and international authors. We have used our platform, however, to promote local authors and South Asian writers as our “own voices” are extremely important.

My Bookshelf used to select an author of the month from the existing crop of local writers. What were the criteria for selecting these authors? How important is it for a digital library to support local talent?

We endeavour to support local talent, as we feel it is greatly underrepresented. We chose established authors as well as up-and-coming authors – we want to highlight people that are writing great stuff. Supporting local writers is important, especially when you have a large platform. Publishing infrastructure is not cohesive here, and emerging writers need marketing and innovative ways to get their name and work out there.

In 2019, My Bookshelf began hosting book club sessions. In what ways have these sessions been beneficial in fostering a love for reading in Karachi?

Our book club is hugely popular – when we are late to organize one, our members make sure to remind us! In these sessions, we read a variety of books — trending, commercial fiction as well as books by regional writers. Our book club has grown as we select books that will interest and engage everyone.

‘The Tea with My Bookshelf’, your online talk show, has attracted considerable attention on Instagram. What inspired this project? How did you go about selecting the guests you interviewed on the talk show?

Our show is on YouTube, and we are having so much fun with it! We wanted to focus not only on books and authors, but also on people here that are doing interesting, innovative things. We look for dynamic guests who are doing something different, or adding value, or who we just really want to have a conversation with. 

What are some of the most poignant conversations you’ve had as part of the online talk show?

Most of our conversations, be it with Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Omar Shahid Hamid, or Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan, bring to light some issues relating to a marginalised community that exists in Pakistan. This is especially true where women are concerned. Invariably the conversation veers towards how enough has not been done to curb gender-based violence, punish the perpetrators and protect women and minorities.

Kamila’s most memorable conversation was with Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, while  Erum’s most memorable conversation was with Mohammad Hanif.

What are your future plans?

We would like My Bookshelf to be a community that encourages reading and also a place where you feel safe and protected and can be your authentic self, be it your digital self or in real time. Our goal is to reach people — especially women — and give them a safe space to voice their opinions on books, life, and share the wisdom they have acquired over the years. We also strive to support women in business and have done features on women entrepreneurs over the years. -Ends