From Nehru To Narayan Murthy, Numerous Celebs Visited This Heritage Book Shop In Camp

If you’ve driven down East Street in Camp, chances are you’ve passed Express Book Service and not even noticed. Truly a hidden gem, there’s more to this age-old bookstore than you think. Express Book Service was started by current owner and fourth generation bookseller – Rohit Jerajani’s great grandfather, in the 1940s {pre-Independence era}. Over 7 decades old, they boast an illustrious client roster, featuring the likes of important political figures like Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lokmanya Tilak, Mohammad Ali Jinnah – as well as celebrities like Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, authors Narayan and Sudha Murthy, songbirds Lata and Usha Mangeshkar {who have launched their albums on cassette at the store}, Pankaj Udas, and numerous cricketers – many of whom have launched their own books or music albums at the store itself. This heritage shop is really a sight to see for any bibliophile – towering piles of books upon books, boxes filled with books, and books in cupboards, line the interior of the shop. You’ll find everything from Agatha Christie to V.S. Naipaul, back-issues of National Geographic {collector’s items}, cookbooks, travel guides, comic books, leather-bound literary classics, books on gardening, precious gems, fiction, religion, self help, study reference, business, management, health, hobbies, craft books, manuscripts, magazines, and more. Literally, everything. A staunch supporter of the Indian literary scene, Mr. Jerajani works with over 3,500 authors, helping them launch their books at his shop, and around Pune. He also hosts weekly events like book readings, meet-ups, and such – to encourage people to read more.  We even came across lovely old picture-postcards of Mumbai and Pune, only for INR 10! Mr. Jerajani is an organiser of the Pune International Literary Festival {which you can read more about, here}, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, and was the first and only person to organise and execute a sports-centric literary festival, hosting 42 Indian and International athletes to talk about books.

Express Book Service also stocks music CDs and all the latest movie DVDs for your binge-watching needs. If you can’t find a particular book or album, Mr. Jerajani can have it sourced for you within a day or two. Prices are extremely pocket-friendly, and customers here are treated like old friends. Follow them on Facebook for all the latest happenings and events.