A novel idea

Penguin India has just come up with a set of quick-reads for Delhi Metro commuters.

Train journeys and novels have a long-standing camaraderie. And we all, at some point of time, have gladly chipped in to keep this association sailing. Now, with shifting times, trains have journeyed from that experience of an occasional ride with friends and family to an average Delhiite's daily life. Boarding a train to get to one's workplace is no more the distinctiveness of a Mumbaikar or a Kolkattan alone.

Over a million Delhiites reportedly use the Delhi Metro every day. So why keep the ‘novel' idea away, reflected Penguin India. Vaishali Mathur, senior commissioning editor of the ever expanding publishing house, throws light on the ‘whys' and the ‘hows' behind the introduction of the concept to the city's commuters. “We have been studying the market and felt that there was a gap as far as literature for the people on the move with busy lifestyles and shortage of time, was concerned. These are people who like to read but don't have the patience to carry around heavy tomes.”

And so Metro Reads come to life. Penguin has introduced the series with a trio — Love Over Coffee by Delhiite Amrit N. Shetty, Where Girls Dare by Roorkee-resident Bhavna Chauhan, and Dreams in Prussian Blue by Pune-based Paritosh Uttam. Sticking to the concept of racy quickies, none of the novels spans beyond 250 pages, and the stories are severely metro-ish.

Full report here Hindu