Books from Crossword

Across (10): Crossword integrates backwards into this business.

There is nothing cryptic about this move. Crossword, the book retail chain, has gone one step back in the value chain and turned publisher itself.

The bookstore launched its first co-published book at the recent Kala Ghoda Festival in Mumbai. The book, Atlas, is published in association with the UK-based Aark Arts, and by the sound of Crossword CEO and Managing Director R Sriram's words "" "Atlas is a new beginning for Crossword" "" more books are to come.

For now, Crossword is watching the response to Atlas. Portrayed as a "bookzine", it is a bi-annual compendium of Indian and international writing that showcases work ranging from fiction and non-fiction to poetry and photography.

The entire project is part of a learning process, says Sriram: "It is a good fit with our ongoing process to promote Indian writing on an international platform."

This, as Sriram elaborates, is the larger mission of which publishing is just a part (its annual award for Indian writing is another).

After years spent on turning a book retail chain viable, Crossword is relieved to have the financial muscle to get on with the job. Its turnover last year stood at Rs 85 crore, and is expected to top Rs 115 crore this year.

While the company is strong on the retail front, it does not have the rest of the distibution setup required to play publisher, so it has struck a deal with Rupa & Co to make Atlas available at bookstores covered by its network across India.

Welcoming the move, says Padmini Mirchandani, director, India Book House, "Publishing books for the mass market is a good way to expand the customer base."

Meanwhile, other bookstores in India are also trying out new ideas to promote book readership. One such store is the Kolkata-based Oxford Bookstore, part of the Apeejay Group.

It has published two books of its own so far: Graphic Art of India and Business of Life. This is part of a project to promote art in India. Again, a modest venture.

Says Rajeev Chowdhary, CEO, Apeejay Oxford Bookstore, "Currently, Oxford has no plans to expand its publishing venture."

Overall, India's book retail market is placed at Rs 7,000 crore "" fragmented into thousands of corner shops. Book chains, however, are expanding too, and hope to use their resources to give reading per se a big boost.

A case of overvaulting ambition? No. At least not on current readership trends, worldwide. The experience in developed markets so far has been that the current information glut is turning the thoughtful customer (to use an immodest term) towards the printed word with greater gusto "" even as the rivalry with electronic razzle-dazzle pushes the quality of printed matter up.