Readers will get a chance to choose from a wide selection of titles on-the-go as a mobile bookstore is doing the rounds across the country to promote reading and make great writing more accessible.
Penguin Books India, along with Walking BookFairs, has launched Penguin on Wheels - wherein readers will be offered its titles across genres, including Penguin classics, the publishing house said.
The collection will have books by authors like Jhumpa Lahiri, Amitav Ghosh, Devdutt Pattanaik, Salman Rushdie, Ravinder Singh, Twinkle Khanna, Hussain Zaidi, Khushwant Singh, Roald Dahl, Ruskin Bond and Emraan Hashmi among others.
"Our vision has always been to get our stories and books available to everyone, everywhere, and we are constantly looking for occasions to share the joy of reading," says Hemali Sodhi, senior vice president (Marketing & Publisher- Children's) at Penguin Random House.
"Walking Bookfairs has, through various initiatives, made books available in cities where people might not have easy access to bookstores, and we are delighted that through this partnership with them our books will reach new audiences," she adds.
The mobile bookstore will also run various engagement activities, such as giveaways and contests. There will be book readings and signings by authors, and other ways to reach out to the reading community and encourage others to read.
Currently in Odisha, Penguin on Wheels will travel to other towns throughout the year.
Penguin claims this is the first time such an initiative is taken by a publishing house.
The Walking BookFairs book truck has travelled more than 11,000 km across 20 states in India and has created a buzz for books nationally and internationally. The book truck has custom-made open bookshelves on both sides that open out, once parked for display, browsing and reading.
