Nine locations and one pandemic later, this independent bookstore still woos Patna’s booklovers
The story of Atmanand Das and Books-En-Amee, which he founded in 1979. The current location of Books-En-Amee, Patna.
Some of my fondest memories of school days are of the book fairs, which were generally held on the same day as parent-teacher meetings. Much as my friends and I dreaded those meetings, we looked forward to buying coveted books. Those books would come in handy quite often as temporary buffers against the inevitable discussions about grades.
Aatmanand Das is the man behind those bookstalls. He has watched me grow up, has an excellent idea of my choices when it comes to reading, and is a great friend. We still have conversations in his cosy bookstore now and then, especially since the pandemic brought me back home to the crowded streets of my quaint home-town of Patna.