Giggles Bookshop at Vivanta By Taj — Connemara has been in the business of creating readers since the last 43 years. Run by Nalini Chettur, this iconic bookshop is as much about books as much as its lovely, chatty owner. Plus, Roald Dahl fans, there is something for you too.
Have You Been To This Big Little Bookshop Yet? And It Has A Roald Dahl Connection, Too
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What Makes It Awesome
Giggles is a tiny bookshop near the out gate at Vivanta By Taj — Connemara {near Spencer Plaza} and is run by the very charming Nalini Chettur. If you’re looking to discuss societal constructs, life’s many lessons or just good books, then nibble on peanut candy {Nalini’s favourites} or sip on tea she offers and let the time fly by {you won’t even notice}. Nalini loves meeting new people and has even had the likes of {OMG} Roald Dahl’s sister-in-law drop by here in the 80s. She tells me that Roald Dahl even sent her a lovely, handwritten letter thanking her for a gift she had sent back with his sister-in-law. Expect fascinating tales like this and more when you drop by. She loves having people over and is closely associated with the Broke Bibliophiles Chennai Chapter whom she considers as her adopted grandchildren.
The little shop has a ton of books. Nalini will even send you your favourites through post based on your request. Non-fiction is a popular genre here. You can find books by Salman Rushdie, Shashi Tharoor, and Ruskin Bond. I was so excited to find books from my childhood — a Dr. Seuss book Daisy Head Mayzie and Angelo written and adorably illustrated by Quentin Blake {Dahl books illustrator}. If you follow social media writers and poets you can find their work here too; we discovered the book titled Sad Girls By Lang Leav who was {and still is} a social media sensation. If you’re looking to gift a book to a friend who’s engaged you can even get them the illustrated rendition of the Kamasutra. The shop maybe tiny but it truly does have a lot on offer. Rumour had it that this 43-year-old iconic bookshop was going to be relocated from its popular corner at Connemara {Vivanta By Taj}. But good news, bibliophiles, it’s still here for now! And Nalini’s never going to shut shop, she reassures me. “For men may come and men may go but I go on forever,” she says aptly quoting Alfred Lord Tennyson’s famous poem, The Brook.
You can drop by between 3 pm and 6 pm and browse through the many books on the shelves. For more information, you can call her at +91 9566108766.