Chennai, August 20: Chennai got its first silent reading and drawing community in the form of Bessy Reads and Bessy Paints. The communities hosted their 11th and 2nd sessions respectively at Elliot’s Beach, this Sunday. At 6 am, around twenty people gathered in front of the Karl Schmidt Memorial at Elliot’s Beach. The members brought books and art supplies and were immersed in their reading and drawing for the next three hours. At 9 am, the members arose from their sandy spots to take a group picture. This was followed by a group breakfast at Murugan Idlis.
Bessy Reads - and later Bessy Paints - was initiated by Sanjana Patnaik and Kruthika Kumar, inspired by Cubbon Reads, a silent reading community in Bengaluru. “Inspired by Cubbon Reads, Bessy Reads was started with the notion of creating a safe space for readers. This is a community where you're so free that you can even read a doctor's prescription if you want and no one is going to judge you,” said Kruthika. With the advent of the hustle culture and fast-paced lifestyles, finding the time to slow down and read is a rare occurrence. “Bessy reads for me represents a time slot that belongs to me, the book in my hand and my fellow book readers. Like many of us who loved reading once, life caught on and I could not find time to get back to books. Also, mobile phones are a major distraction. For the last few months I have been trying to wean myself off the phone and reduce my screen time. What better way than to find my way back to books?” said Roli, a regular to Bessy Reads. For Om Prakash, a doctor, Bessy Reads is a “great place to get [his] weekly quota of reading done and make a dent on [his] backlog.” “I'm a sucker for new experiences and this is just what the doctor ordered,” he added.
Meet-and-greet and open talk sessions have also been started as part of Bessy Reads, for like-minded souls to have spirited discussions about anything and everything under the sun. The first session was held on the 15th of August, with about thirty-five people.
Bessy Reads and Bessy Paints are open for everyone to attend. One just needs a book, a mat, and a love for books. Sessions happen every Sunday from 06:00 to 09:00 am at Elliot’s Beach. The exact location is updated every week on the Instagram pages of the community: @bessyreads and @bessypaints.
Swimming against the rough tide of hustle culture, with quiet, slow, Sunday morning reading sessions | Photo by Kalai (@bloosquare)
Happy as clams after a successful reading session | Photo by Kalai (@bloosquare)
Books and art as diverse as the people of Bessy Reads and Bessy Paints | Photo by Shrita Nyapathi