STORY is back... and how! Since 2004, Primarc Group has been a pioneering force behind the city’s readers, first as the Crossword, and then as STORY. When the latter shut its doors at its legendary Elgin Road address, the founders had something much bigger in mind. On August 8, STORY returned with a new store and with the same passion. My Kolkata was there at its star-studded opening.
The architecture of the store is inspired by European libraries which Shambhavi and Sidharth came across during their travels
Located right opposite to the Salt Lake stadium, the new STORY is poised to carry on the ethos of its predecessor, boasting a collection of almost 20,000 titles. Not only will it be a one-stop destination for books, but also convene writing and theatre workshops, and storytelling sessions. The founders, Sidharth and Shambhavi Pansari, are committed to making it a space where ideas are engaged and learning is valued.
The grand architecture of the bookstore
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Kolkata Mayor and Minister of Urban Development, Firhad Hakim; former Bidhannagar Mayor, Sabyasachi Dutta; and filmmaker Arindam Sil. Hakim reminisced how he frequented the store ever since it was Crossword. “When the second Harry Potter book came out, my daughter demanded that she wanted the first copy, and I queued up outside from 4am in knee-deep water, just to buy it for her. I saw Crossword evolve into STORY, and become the one-stop place for rare titles. Reading is an addiction that heightens creativity, and we need more STORYs to promote reading,” he smiled.
Dutta also expressed his joy to see such a compelling bookstore in Salt Lake. “It is incredible to finally have a bookstore like this in Salt Lake. It's rare to see a bookstore launch garner so much interest today, but I feel this is just the start.” Sil agreed, recounting how he has promoted all his films at STORY, and emphasising on the need to read. “We are the city of culture and heritage, but every day a new cafe, mall or restaurant opens, but a new bookshop doesn’t even open once a year. Despite what people say, I refuse to believe that we don't read. This is a passion project that will remind the city to read, and love its culture.”
“We have the largest collection of kids’ books in the city,” said Shambhavi Pansari
A huge draw for readers will be the 4000 sq ft space, stacked with books and goodies. Apart from personalised assistants who will guide shoppers on the perfect book for them, the store also has comfy reading chairs to peruse through the titles. “We loved the designs of European libraries and wanted to bring that architectural concept to Kolkata with STORY. We want families to come here and spend time. To enable that, our collection will appeal to both children and adults,” said Shambhavi Pansari, business director, STORY.
One of the primary goals of STORY is to introduce children to the joy of reading in a hyper digital world. The store plans to do this through a three-year membership programme, where members can avail exclusive discounts on workshops for Rs 1,100, and a 20% discount on books above Rs 200. Additionally, those who join the program in the first month will be given a gift voucher of Rs 250.
