Our series celebrating stories close to home takes us next to a place that raised generations of readers. Meet Swati and Venkatesh. ? 

Back in 2003, they turned a rented house in Chittaranjan Park into Eureka! Bookstore. And over time, it became a space where children gathered for readings, workshops, and interactions with their favourite authors. Those gatherings sparked an idea: to create a platform that celebrates children’s literature on a larger scale. And so, Bookaroo, India’s first children’s literature festival, was born. Today, it has grown into a multi-city celebration and is now in its 50th edition. 

But the journey wasn’t always smooth. The rise of e-commerce, growing rents, and a flood that destroyed much of their inventory forced them to close their original store in 2014. Still, their story didn’t end there. 

In 2020, the owner of CMYK, well-known bookstore in Greater Kailash II, offered them a space to continue within CMYK’s premises. And just like that, Eureka! found its way back, now welcoming a new generation of readers, many of whose parents once visited as children themselves. 

So, the next time you’re at our café in GK II, wander in for a minute. You just might find a book that makes you feel like eight again. ?   

P.S. Have a corner of your neighbourhood that holds a memory? Share it with us in DM. ?

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