KATHMANDU, May 29:
“The more that you read,
The more things you will know
The more that you learn,
The more places you’ll go.”
- Dr Seuss
If you ever need a reason to read, then there are a few that are plenty. Reading gives you knowledge, it betters the way you write, and it makes you feel better. Whether it’s a habit that you picked up early in life or got accustomed to later, it’s a habit that is important.[break]
During the 17th Nepal Education and Book Fair held at Bhrikutimandap from May 24, we caught up with some college goers to learn about why they read (or don’t read).
Keshab Thoker/Republica
Anisha Maharjan, 11th grader at Jana Sewa Higher Secondary School reads ‘You Can Win’ by Shiv Khera while volunteering at a book stall in the 17th Nepal Education and Book Fair in Bhrikutimandap on Wednesday.
Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson’ series fan Emma Limbu, who’s studying A-levels at Chelsea International shares that she developed her reading habit when she was in Hong Kong. “I used to go to libraries a lot there,” says Limbu, who, apart from the ‘Percy Jackson’ series likes reading fiction.
Currently reading through the prequel to ‘Can Love Happen Twice?’ by Ravinder Singh, Bishworaj Chamrel of Edmark College likes to mostly read books for the knowledge it bestows upon the reader. A 12th grader, he reads books in both Nepali and English. “I like reading books in Nepali because the way of expression that authors uses, feel different to me, perhaps that’s because Nepali is my mother tongue,” shares Chamrel.
With the newly purchased ‘Srimad Bhagavad Geeta’ in his hand, Suresh Bhandari, currently doing his Masters in Business Administration (MBA), is walking the expo hall with his group of friends. He shares that apart from course books, he rarely gets time to read. “We have many project works, assignments and other college work, hence although I’m interested, I don’t get much time to read,” says Bhandari.
Belonging to the same group, Saru Tuitui, on the other hand, is an avid reader. Tuitui who is currently studying Bachelors in Business Studies at Khwopa College loves reading Shakespere and Rabindranath Tagore. Right now, she’s looking forward to read Shiv Khera’s ‘You Can Win’. “I have friends who read and so I borrow books from them. The library in our college, frankly speaking, isn’t much facilitated with books. One can only get course books there,” she says. Tuitui, who doesn’t go out of her house much, started reading books to utilize her time.
Using her free time to volunteer at one of the book stalls in the 17th Nepal Education and Book Fair 2013, Anisha Maharjan is also enthusiastic reader. “Rather than reading course books, I like reading novels,” says Maharjan, who is an 11th grader at Jana Sewa Higher Secondary School. Anisha, who likes the romance genre, is right now, reading Khera’s ‘You Can Win’. “If there’s a book that I’m very much interested in, then I buy the book otherwise, I usually borrow from friends,” says Maharjan who, like Tuitui, also shares that the library at her school has very less novels. Hence, her source of books is her friends’ circle, who read a lot. “I like reading because of the knowledge one can draw from it,” she says, adding, “Mostly, reading course books is only for the degree but other books give you so much of knowledge, which is useful in life.”
Another young reader, who was carrying bags full of her new books, Prarthana Shrestha is a voracious reader. Mainly a ‘Harry Potter’ series fan, Shrestha picked up the virtue of reading from her father. “My father used to read a lot,” says Shrestha. She believes that the reading culture is not very developed because of technological advancements. “People tend to prefer playing games to reading nowadays,” says Shrestha who, as a booklover, is dissatisfied with the number of libraries in Kathmandu.
As college students, there’s always the pressure to do well academically and perhaps be active socially. But taking some time out to read is a must because the pages of a book send you to a whole different world, one that is full of knowledge and fun.
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