The pandemic is showing us the opportunities that publishers have beyond the traditional book

Twenty-nine days – that’s how long my mother had been waiting to get a copy of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett delivered to her. I was not sure she will get to lay her hands on it at all. The Kindle version, however, lay provocatively on her screen luring her in. This time I thought she would give in.

Enough has been written and spoken about, in endless webinars of course, about the once-in-a-lifetime global event, Covid19. We may be remembered as the people who survived. But what is our survival mantra? Food, shelter, healthcare are undoubtedly essentials.But how do we tackle the ancillary killer – boredom?

While millions are cooped in and economies forced to a grinding halt, each one is looking to kill boredom in their time. In such a time what is essential is debatable. I was borderline shocked and immensely pleased to hear that some countries consider feeding minds an essential activity. Booksellers in Germany and Belgium are deemed essential. Bookstores have remained open during the pandemic and some sources claim that readers are stocking up on books there! What would Indian publishers give for this in India?

Here, with malls and airports, which are home to most bookstores, largely closed, and online...

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