THE BOOKSHOP AT SPENCER PLAZA

Seetharam's dream come true - The Bookshop at Spencer Plaza. Affable and charming, and with a passion for the printed word, he is there to guide and help you. The personal attention is what sets this bookshop apart from other such shops.

Books on a wide range of subjects like Anthropology, Sociology, Indology, Indian art, Poetry, Biographies, Contemporary fiction and Science fiction adorn the shelves here. Also a wide selection of dictionaries and reference books, a section on history and cookery as well as popular contemporary Indian authors.

There is a separate section on Spirituality and it has a unique collection of books on Indian Spirituality - Vedic studies Tantric, Yoga and Buddhism. Of special mention is the selection of Indian writing in English, to encourage Indian writers. "To me a book is like a pocket garden which can be carried around. At home, office or even a bus. When one has a book, all one has to do is to take it out and relax in the 'garden'. Each book is like a different world. In that sense I would liken a bookshop to a shop of pocket gardens".

The Bookshop is Seetharam's way of giving something back to literature. "I wouldn't call it a commercial success, but personally from the feedback I receive, my dream is a stupendous success", he says.

Address: The Bookshop, G-16, Spencer Plaza, 769, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002, Phone: 852 4419, 852 2701
Extension. 4016.

LIFCO

In the hustle and bustle of Ranganathan Street, T Nagar, the Little Flower Publishing Company, popularly called LIFCO, continues to be a household name. Established in 1929, by V. Krishnaswami Sarma who single handedly ran this publishing enterprise, LIFCO started with a publication of just five books. Today LIFCO brings out publication mostly oriented toward educational and religious themes.

LIFCO has an interesting story behind its name. Little Flower symbolises the love and surrender of two saints, a Christian Saint of France, Marie Françoise Therese and a Hindu Vaishnavite Saint Nammazhvar.

According to the management, LIFCO's success as a publishing company is attributed to the splendid spadework done by its founder in the initial years and more importantly the extremely low cost pricing that continues to be their business strategy.

LIFCO has many firsts to its credit -

1. The first to publish Sales Tax manuals, both in English and Tamil.

2. Its founder was the first to start a Publishers' and Booksellers' Association of India in 1931.

3. The first to use mobile vans to remote villages of Tamil Nadu to spread literacy.

Address: Ranganathan Street T.Nagar Chennai 600 017.
Phone: 434 1538

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