Blue Whale Book

Focusing on the shop at 132 R v road in Vishveshwaraiah Puram takes up most of our time. We spend our days surrounded by stacks of paper and old bindings. Blue Whale Book isn't a very large place, but it’s packed from the floor to the ceiling. We try to keep things in some kind of order, but new boxes arrive all the time and we have to find space for them. The shelves are tall and sometimes a bit wobbly if you aren't careful. It’s usually quiet here, which is a nice change from the noise outside on the street. We don't have a lot of fancy decorations or bright lights. It’s just a regular spot with wooden tables and a few chairs for us to sit at while we work. Some of the books have been here for years, and they have that specific old paper smell that hits you as soon as you walk in. We spend a lot of time cleaning off dust and re-shelving things that people have looked at. It’s a lot of physical work, lifting heavy crates and moving things around. The neighborhood is busy, so we see all kinds of people dropping in. We don’t really do any big promotions. We just open the doors in the morning and stay until the sun goes down. It’s a simple way to make a living and we like the routine of it.