The Eminent Gentleman
Mr. Singh, the owner of Fact & Fiction is a person of enviable social standing. He has served in a jury that judged the best essay in a literary competition organized by Outlook magazine, the Newsweek of India. He is an extremely close friend (from school days) of Vir Sanghvi - Managing Editor of The Hindustan Times, sort of India's The Washington Post. Both Mr. Singh and Mr. Sanghvi live a well-nourished lifestyle, spending gourmet evenings together in 5-star-hotels, dining at their elegant and expensive restaurants.
One frequently written and often heard facet of Mr. Singh favors a school of thought that he is an extremely well-read man and that no book is foreign to his ears and eyes. It is strongly recommended not to give much attention to such rumors. On more than five uncomfortable occasions the owner was seen spreading his eyes wide when this author asked about this book and that author.
But in spite of his eccentricities (at times he suddenly frowns for no reason), it must be mentioned that Mr. Singh is kind enough to reserve a book if it catches your fancy though you do not have the money or the credit card at that moment. He even calls you up on your mobile phone when the long-panted-for book arrives at the shop.
Past and Poetry
On the wall behind Mr. Singh's grey seat are books on history; everything from Russia's Last Tsar (Nicholas and Alexandra) to Mao's sensational biography by his personal physician (The Private Life of Chairman Mao) to an expose on Hitler by one of his ministers (Inside the Third Reich).
If you move your eyes towards right from this section, they will be cooled by a pleasant section on poems. Mr. Singh is a person of taste and he happens to have a nice selection on haikus. This is the shelf where this author picked out his beloved copy of Basho's haikus (Classic Haiku: An Anthology of Poems by Basho and His Followers) which has original Japanese versions printed beside its English translation. You can even spot Pushkin's Eugene Onegin: A Novel in Verse, the book that inspired Vikram Seth to compose 'The Golden Gate'.
The Mystery of a Secret Attic
The bookshop also has a secret attic in which Mr. Singh frequently disappears in quest of books requested by the customers. This author, despite being a dog-like patron of Fact & Fiction, has never been invited inside the attic but is fortunate to have enjoyed occasional sightings when he was lucky enough to stand by the attic, pretending to scan the classics section, while Mr. Singh was swiftly opening the doors and quickly closing it from behind. Ah, the rush of adrenaline as the false wooden doors opens with a burr sound!
Article comments
1 - diana hartman
I am pleased to tell you this article is being featured in the Culture Focus today, June 26.
Diana Hartman
Culture Editor
2 - heh
Find another bookshop pink princess, nobody's asking you to hang around there.
3 - ruchi
Hi Mayank,
Read it on some of cheap T shirts on Janpath .. "Education ruined me" … some one ruined by reading .. Nah ?? anyway .. good to see your blog .. though am not a blogger but I claim to be a book lover albeit low profile one. It was good to read your article on Fact & Fiction (which happens to be my last resort on so many books ) .. … coouldn’t help but thank u for the smile I had when I read about Mr. Singh .. Oh yes .. that’s so true.
Thanks..
4 - Saurabh
Fact and Fiction is perhaps my favorite bookshop. It is beautiful and delightfully personal. I love the place, Mr Singh's frown and all.
5 - Vinay Kumaran
My favorite book shop. The one place where I know I'll find the books I want and want the books I see. Wonderful selection and Mr Singh is amazingly knowledgable. And I never asked him for a discount!!!