A unique book giveaway - Sharing the joy of reading, giving away one book a day for a month

In a world often dominated by screens and digital content, the tangible pleasure of holding a book in hand remains unmatched. Book giveaways, a simple yet profound act, serve as a beacon of light in promoting literacy, fostering community, and spreading the love of reading. Thinking along these lines prompted Vijay, a teen Biblophile from Bengaluru to announce a month long book giveaway for students and young readers in India. 

Vijay has enjoyed reading and reviewing books for as long as he can remember. During the pandemic and lockdowns, he decided to take his love for printed books online by sharing book reviews on his niche YouTube Book Review channel that has over 690 subscribers. 

During the 30-day Book Giveaway in May, Vijay is offering to buy books worth Rs 500 for deserving students and readers every day. Announcing the giveaway, Vijay says 

"I want to share the joy of reading this summer and I am planning a giveaway using award money won from different competitions."

At its core, a book giveaway is an act of generosity, a gesture that transcends the mere exchange of objects. It symbolizes the spirit of sharing knowledge, stories, and ideas, enriching both the giver and the receiver. Whether it's a carefully curated selection of novels, timeless classics, or niche non-fiction, each book carries within its pages the potential to ignite imagination, provoke thought, or provide solace.

Book giveaways play a pivotal role in promoting literacy and access to literature, especially in underserved communities. By providing individuals with free books, regardless of economic status, these initiatives break down barriers to education and empower individuals to explore new worlds through literature. In doing so, they sow the seeds of curiosity and lifelong learning, laying the foundation for a more informed and enlightened society. The giveaway has generated tremendous response on social media and in the first 10 days of May, young readers from across the country have been selected and books are being shipped to them from online bookstores like Amazon.in and Bookchor.com. The needs of awardees seem to vary ranging from reading popular bestsellers to requests to support books for academic and exam-preparation pursuits. [The running list of giveaway recipients.] As a part of the giveaway, books have also been shipped to Karnataka's Rural Public Libraries. 

Beyond the tangible benefits, book giveaways foster a sense of community and camaraderie among book lovers. Whether organized by local libraries, bookstores, or passionate individuals, these events bring people together, united by their shared love for the written word. Discussions flourish, friendships blossom, and bonds are formed, all centered around a mutual appreciation for literature. In an increasingly disconnected world, book giveaways serve as a reminder of the power of storytelling to connect us across boundaries of time, space, and culture.


About the Giveaway: Entries are open till end of May 2024 (link)

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Man accused of groping woman in Bangalore metro claims he did not intend to touch her, but accidentally did so while attempting to pickpocket

Image
Bengaluru | December 9: A techie claims she was groped by a man on the Namma Metro Train while she was alighting at the Metro on  Thursday . She immediately raised an alarm and the security managed to nab the accused.  On  Thursday  morning, a 22-year-old techie took a Metro from Rajajinagar station to reach her office. While she was stepping out of the metro to switch lines at Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Metro Station, a man touched her inappropriately from behind. She got down and screamed.  The accused hopped onto an escalator to flee the spot but the alert security managed to apprehend him.  They subsequently handed him over to the police. Preliminary investigations indicated that the man had a history of offences, primarily in theft cases.  The accused has been identified as 30-year-old Lokesh who works in the catering industry.   He had been previously arrested by officers from the same police station for a theft-related  incident.  The man claimed that he did not intend to touch the w
Read more

Checklist: What to do after death of a Parent or loved one?

Image
With a death in the family, survivors may have to come to grips with the stark reality: how to move forward after the death. While the grieving process can take time, one also must address several documentation, paperwork and other formalities. Here are a few things that you will have to follow up on: To Do Immediately After Someone Dies Inform loved ones, family and friends Arrange for a funeral - depending on your custom and current regulations and wishes of the deceased, you will have to plan for the final rites Plan for after death ceremonies - this will depend on your customs (e.g  After death ceremonies – Brahmin Iyer ) Apply for a  death certificate . This is the most important legal step and may be a two-step process The hospital, crematorium or burial ground officials may issue a letter/document with the name of deceased and cause of death.  The letter/document needs to be submitted to the local municipal/corporation office that will ‘record’ the death and issue an ‘official’
Read more

A victim of “Pig Butchering” scam, an Indian American family succumbs to tragedy

Image
This week I got a WhatsApp message in a university alumni group about a GoFundMe page created by Aruna, a batchmate that talked about her husband’s suicide after he fell victim of a cryptocurrency scam. In the GoFundMe page, Aruna went on to explain  how her husband was an  “unfortunate victim of a cryptocurrency scam where he was skillfully manipulated into parting with our entire life savings. Through the shameless, methodical and savvy deception of these heartless cyber criminals, they utilized a “pig butchering” scheme and managed to convince him to pull every single penny out of our life savings, including all of our retirement funds. There is nothing left in our accounts, except debt and loans to pay.”   Video viewpoint by Author, Mohan Aruna’s family is the story of a typical middle-class American dream. She migrated to the US with her husband after her masters in India. They then spent the past couple of decades pursuing the American dream – seeking a Green Card and nat
Read more