Written By: Sameyah Said
Have you ever found a second-hand book with a note scribbled on the inside – a little message from one stranger to another?
Or, if not a message, maybe a name or even just a date?
If you have, there’s a chance that you’ve dwelled a little on the true value of a second-hand book: on the history that lives on in dog-eared, yellowing pages and torn, worn-out covers. If you haven’t come across such treasure, there’s one place in our burgeoning, chaotic metropolis that you may.
Make plans with a friend — someone who, if not outright exhilarated at the prospect, at least wouldn’t mind spending a weekend browsing books – and go visit the recently revived Sunday Book Bazar held weekly at Bagh-e-Jinnah, the sprawling lawns surrounding the majestic Frere Hall.
There, you’ll find a plethora of books – old and new titles authored by local and international writers of every genre being sold by vendors who’ve been in the business for years.
If you’re a true romantic, while standing at the Bazaar surrounded by readers of all ages, you’ll realize that it’s one of the best offers our often-too-small, sometimes-too-big city has to make. Take a moment to appreciate that the building before you was finished in 1852, that its ceilings are decorated with Sadequain’s genius and the structure holds a 70,000 volume strong library. It’ll be a moment where you feel the cohesion of the past, the present and multitudes of fictional worlds that live on in the beautiful, tattered second-hand books.
