While the world fights with Corona Virus (Codenamed as COVID-19) disease and its effects on the casual and formal affairs around the world, we need to be safe. We also need to keep others around us safe. Panic and rumour can be spread very easily and we have to make sure that we don’t make any mistakes that lead to confusion and chaos in the masses. The government in India and other countries of the world are doing their best and we are sure we will be able to defeat the evil corona virus in the coming days. However, as serious bookworms, we are suggesting the best ways to stay safe from the corona virus that other bookworms may follow and also suggest others to do so. So, here are a few suggestions that will keep our loving bookworms safe:

1. Stay home: If it’s not necessary, stay at home. Visiting libraries, participating in public reading groups, member-meetings of book clubs and other literary clubs, buying books from crowded shops and old-book markets are some of the most important things that you should drop right now. If you have an urge to read something which is new, I am sure those titles must be available in Kindle format as well. Download the digital version and begin reading those. In short, DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR HOME unless it becomes entirely essential.

2. Sanitise your library: Many senior and voracious bookworms like myself must have libraries in their homes. I do have one big library that harbours all my ships of imagination and ideas in the shapes of various books. If you go to your library daily (even if it’s just another room in your house), make sure that your books are clean, sanitised and free of that deadly corona virus and also other harmful objects like dust, fungus and worms. There should be only one worm in your library and that’s you – the BookWorm!

3. Embrace Kindle for a few weeks: Unless the world of science discovers some antidote for this dreadful COVID-19 pandemic, we should make sure that our hands are not touching many books in a day. To make sure this happens, you can begin reading on your Kindle device for a few weeks from now. I know reading on Kindle may confuse and baffle and harass you at times. However, the larger the crisis, the bigger the sacrifice (at times only). There are many disadvantages of reading books on Kindle. Nevertheless, there is one very big advantage as well and it is switching between the books. You don’t have to walk; you don’t have to frustrate yourself in finding the desired title; you don’t have to push and pull the strings of your mind. Just go to your digital library on Kindle and you can find the title you want to read. Also, make your that YOUR KINDLE DEVICE IS REGULARLY WIPED CLEAN and SANITISED.

4. Join online book societies and reading clubs: Yes. That’s the best way if you want to indulge yourself with the readers of repute and even authors. You should consider joining clubs that are online. In India, there is India book club that’s an entirely online book club which provides the readers at large with a platform where they can share their opinions about various authors and books they read. If you become a part of such a club, reading will become joyful because you will have many readers connected to you without the need of going out of home and risking yourself against this untreatable (as of now) Corona virus. So, are you ready to join any book clubs yet?

5. Read book review websites: There are many book review websites active in India as well as globally. You should regularly read these websites because these provide really quality stuff. You will not only enjoy reading those websites but also learn many things by reading those book reviews. Some of the best Indian book review sites provide regular updates on books and authors. Their review quality is also up to the mark and you can learn about the happenings in the literary world by following or subscribing to their updates.

So, my dear bookworms, this was my advice to you all as we fight COVID-19 in India as Indians and globally as global citizens. Do your bit and make sure you stay safe inside the walls you call home and don’t get out unless it becomes deadly essential. We have to break the chain and that’s the only way to fight it out. Also, make sure that the elders above 60 in your family are home all the time. Take care of their needs and keep them engaged. Also, NEVER STOP READING!

An appeal by Indian Book Critics, written by Amit