Book-o-Box is your blind date with a book. It is a curated book subscription box with an exclusively handpicked book. It comes along with a few interesting goodies and of course some tea because what read is complete without tea! The box also includes an art print with the same theme as the book. Every month a new artist is picked to collaborate with them to create some beautiful art. I stumbled upon Book-o-Box on social media and ordered my August’s Box almost immediately, obviously.
The theme of this month was “Polish”. So here is what this month’s box brought in. The Box welcomes you with a note. The book: ‘Swallowing Mercury’ by Wioletta Greg. A short write up on the author and other Polish recommendations. A beautiful yet intriguing artwork, which I am told I will understand better once I start reading the book. Adding to that there is a cute little reading light for the night owls, a notepad with a Kerouac Quote and teabags.
The curator behind these monthly surprises, Gayatri Nair has kindly agreed to chat with me about her venture. Trusting a novice like me, I would like to thank her for taking out the time for doing this. :)
Me: How did the idea of Book-o-Box originate?
GN: Book subscriptions boxes are a popular concept in the West. Being a bibliophile, I used to dig that idea and follow these boxes on the social media and wished we had such varied options in India as well. During one such conversation with my husband, he encouraged me to start one myself, and I thought why not. From there on it was quite a few months of research on packaging, designing and book curation. At the end of all those trials and experimentations, I finally launched Book-o-Box in March, 2017.
Me: How much do you think this concept would work in this age of Kindle? How would you ensure that something new and fresh is offered to the subscribers every month?
GN: Kindle is quite a popular and convenient way to read now. But the love for a physical book is not something you can take away from the traditionalists and the romantics. It’s the whole experience that matters. Opening a new book, taking in the smell, the joy of holding that in your hand, the beautiful hardbound covers, that’s not something that can be replaced by a Kindle. I believe both Kindle and paperbacks can co-exist peacefully, as there will always be a market for the print medium.
I aim to provide interesting/offbeat works of fiction from around the world. The books selected are from a different country each month and are new/recent releases. That way I hope to cover the literary scene in other parts of the world as well and not just what's mainstream. And the books sent so far have covered a lot of debut novelists and their translated works. Sometimes these novels might not have been the reader’s usual cup of tea and that is what makes this interesting. It prompts the readers to experiment and the feedbacks have been positive.
Me: On what basis do you pick the books and goodies, and is anyone else involved in the process?
GN: The books are curated after a lot of research and recommendation from fellow bookstagrammers and publishers. After shortlisting the books, I personally read to ensure it’s a work I can recommend to my readers. Also, since the objective is to provide recent releases from different countries each month, that helps restrict the selections.
Once the book curation is done, I collaborate with independent artists to create custom artwork that reflect the theme of the box. For the other bookish goodies that go in the box, it’s designed in-house and I work with local craftsmen to get it ready. This is my small effort in supporting local talent and small businesses.
Me: What is the roadmap for Book O Box in terms of new offerings?
GN: Currently what’s been offered is a single plan, which is World Fiction. Going forward I plan to introduce more genres, so that readers will have more options to choose from. Also, I plan to set up a store for the bookish merch that went in the previous boxes, as they have been quite popular among the subscribers.
Me: You must be a book lover yourself to start something like this. What would be your top 3 picks of all time?
GN: That’s a hard choice to make. Black beauty by Anna Sewell made me fall in love with books as a kid. Since then there was no turning back. JK Rowling, Umberto Eco, Milan Kundera, Haruki Murakami are a few of my favorites.
She’s only just getting started. Go subscribe now! You will not be disappointed.
Link: http://www.bookobox.com
Instagram: bookobox
Artwork by Annada Menon
Instagram: annada.n.menon