Step into stories: Literary crawls redefine reading in NCR

Reading at historical monuments helps readers experience the story in a more tactile way (Pic: @lodhireads)

Imagine being part of your favourite novel, entering its world, being with the characters, and asking them why they did that in the climactic chapter. For NCR’s book community, literary crawls do just that. A new format of book events bringing readers together, these crawls go to spaces that look and feel like the ones in your book. Think haunted monuments for fans of horror, a coquette core cafe for romcom girlies, and Old Delhi for history lovers.

Delhi Reads’ literary crawl brought around 80 readers together, exploring Ghalib ki Haveli, starting at Chawri bazar, going to Ballimaran, Nayi Sadak, Jama Masjid, finally concluding at Urdu Bazaar (Pic: @delhireads)

Unlearning and unraveling literary history Molina Singh, co-founder of Delhi Reads, who hosted their Old Delhi literary crawl ‘Dilli Dallying’ in March, shares how the idea was born. “As a book club, we’re often confined – literally and figuratively – to four walls. So, this idea came from the realisation that if we want Delhi’s people to truly absorb its literature, we need to meet the city where it is, especially a place layered with dynasties and rich literary lore.” Molina adds that the idea of literature felt westernised and somewhat whitewashed – shaped by names like Dickens and Jane Austen. “This initiative is about undoing that and exploring the city through its own literary movements and milestones,” she adds.‘It’s an extension of how people want to experience stories’Books have moved to a social space in the city, and communities took notice of that. Vesmir, 23, founder of Tangerine Book and Poetry Circle, says, “We try different formats, locations, and experiences every month. But it never feels disconnected, because everything is still rooted in literature.”Nidhi Gupta, director of Crossword Bookstores, which hosts regular literary events, says, “Literary crawls are a natural extension of how people want to experience stories today: they want to step into them. It’s powerful seeing a place you’ve read about or imagining a story unfolding in a real setting. It makes the narrative more tangible.”

Literary crawls through heritageSneha Misran’s community, Kitaab Club, recently made a spontaneous plan to go to Mehrauli’s haunted monuments while reading Ghosted by Eric Chopra. “People were so excited because of the book that we all got together and read the book at the locations. It was super exciting to witness. These were places like Jamali- Kamali in Delhi, Khuni Darwaza – the haunted places in Delhi that the book was talking about,” she says, adding that it was a more immersive experience than reading. “With the city’s location in the backdrop, the book becomes the centerpiece of the whole experience.”

Exploring the locations from books turn simple stories into a sensory experience (Pic: @tangerinecircleofficial)

Readers reimagine their favouritesAsk readers about the experience with the spaces around them, and they can name the books already. Anigrah Peer, 22, a student of sociology, shares,“I can imagine Kashmere Gate and the lanes and houses of Old Delhi, as they’ve been described in In Custody by Anita Desai. I also think of Khwabgah from The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy. It reminds me of how like the city of Delhi, I too, sometimes feel a thousand years old, coming of age, yet again.” Arushi Rawat, 25, editorial project manager, likens the activity to pub crawls. “Similar to what pub crawls do, I see literary crawls as a group of readers either bookshop hopping in Khan Market or a group of readers and writers visiting multiple pubs on a weekend with their own perspectives on a book.”

As readers look for experiences beyond conventional discussions, these crawls offer something more immersive – rooted in place, history, and movement

Molina Singh, co-founder of Delhi Reads