25 years, one idea: How Pune’s Book Club defied odds and built a global reading community

Mohini, 71, remembers the exact moment that sparked the idea. She and Satish, 78, were talking about a book when a woman overheard them and joined in – delighted simply to “talk books.” That small encounter showed them how many people longed for a space to share ideas.

Satish, then on the Managing Committee of Poona Club, secured permission to use the dusty Reading Room once a month. What followed was pure grit. Ten volunteers gathered to clean, sort and categorise piles of neglected books. “Because we all loved books, it was a labour of love. Laughing, joking… and ultimately washing our hands!” Mohini recalled.

Satish remained unfazed through scepticism. “Persuading naysayers is always difficult, but if you are confident of what you’re doing – go ahead,” he said.

The Khots soon crafted a structure that welcomed even non-readers. Books were announced months in advance, and every session opened with a 30-minute presentation so everyone, even those who hadn’t read the book could join the conversation.

There were no fees, no hierarchy, no attendance rules. Authors and professors travelled at their own expense, sometimes rewarded only with dinner at the club. “It speaks of the generosity of the literary community. Books make good human beings for sure,” Mohini added.

After 15 years, the club moved to Gyan Adab in Kalyani Nagar. With a proper venue, infrastructure, and cultural events all around, the club blossomed. People even shifted homes to be closer.

But the real test came with the pandemic. Gyan Adab shut and physical meetings stopped overnight. “Of course I feared the death of the forum, but technology saved the day!” she said.

Thanks to Zoom tutorials from a helpful member and the couple’s determination, the club went online, meeting every Sunday for nearly two years, live-streaming to hundreds. What could have ended the club instead expanded it beyond borders.

Satish said with simple clarity, “Never give up. That has always been my motto.”

Today, readers log in from Ghana, Geneva, Sri Lanka, England and beyond. The reading list spans Vietnamese, Turkish, Japanese, Korean and Bulgarian literature. Different perspectives have only strengthened the club’s spirit.

For the Khots, this 25-year journey has shaped their lives. “Two Sunday afternoons a month are sacrosanct,” Mohini said. Their marriage, routines and reading habits have grown around the club they nurtured.

Mohini smiled at the thought and said, “That we managed to carry on so long. It seems like yesterday.” Satish adds with his trademark confidence, “Book Clubs come, Book Clubs go – but we are going on. And what you see happening on the 1st will be a new step.”

From a dusty room to a global literary family, the story of the Book Club Pune is not just about books. It is about persistence, community, and two people who believed that readers—given a place to gather—could create something extraordinary. On December 1, at the US Library, Pune, they will celebrate 25 years of proving exactly that.

Alister Augustine is an intern with The Indian Express.