Champaca champions both, the power of the written word and unheard voices . We spoke with Radhika about her love for literature, interesting career trajectory, the bookstore and more.

You’ve had an interesting career transition from working in conservation to building a community through a bookstore and cafe. Can you tell us a bit about it?

I have always been a reader, and I always carried a book when I went on an excursion while working in conservation. I loved the diversity and richness of the experiences I gained during my ecological work, but somewhere, I started yearning to put some roots down instead of living a life of constant travel.

I started Champaca Bookstore in 2019, it’s been nearly 5 years now. When I made the decision, it felt like an extension of the values I was holding, that were motivating me to work in conservation. There were many new skillsets I learned to open it, but the curation of the books, the focus on diversity and inclusivity, and creating and holding space for people (and species) other than us, is still the basis for all my work. I often joke that I talk about birds and spiders now, more than I did working in a conservation organisation.

What has the journey of opening Champaca and building that community been like? What have been your greatest challenges and learnings on the way?

It has been an incredible journey filled with joy and learning. I have been supported by the most generous people and as a result Champaca has found an ability to support people in return. Together with an incredible, committed team, we have managed to grow in spite of many unforeseen challenges, including the pandemic.

Staying nimble and being open to how to reach our audience has been a key takeaway from those years. We took our bookstore online and launched attractive programs including gift vouchers and curated subscription programs to draw readers to us. Learning about financial management has been a big one for me, having had very little prior understanding of it. While I continue to grow my knowledge on this front, I’m also mindful of my ‘why’. I started this bookstore to create a community, and I’d like to keep a healthy balance between head and heart as I continue to grow Champaca.

I’ve also learned a lot about working with the right people, helping them grow and creating a safe and loving work environment. We are an all-women team of 10, and while hiring staff for the bookstore, I intuitively lean towards those who love to read. I believe they can learn the other skills along the way, but a love for literature really helps them connect with our customers and help build a community. The learnings have been many and each year brings a different challenge.

What have been the insights and motivations that have compelled you to run Champaca the way you do?

I have approached the bookstore as a reader. What are the books I would like to see? What are the books that are excellent and need to be talked about? There are so many books being published every year and getting lost in the online shopping experience. Awards and bestseller lists often influence book-buying online and as a result, the voices that are not successful in the mainstream sense, but definitely need to be heard, do not get the space they deserve. We are, therefore, consciously keen on highlighting those voices. I am also passionate about promoting reading amongst children, and therefore, we launched a children’s library as part of the bookstore in 2019.

Many people at Champaca have become a part of our community and have improved our curation too. Working collaboratively and with the goal of making the book browsing and buying experience enriching, and serving our community through it, has served us well.

What next? Where do you see your journey taking you in the next few years?

There are so many things we are excited by. Everything from publishing, to improving accessibility to ‘non-mainstream’ voices, to libraries and author conversations. Keep watching!

Finally, as an avid reader, we’re sure you have tons of relatively unknown gems to recommend. Can you share a few for our readers?

Recently I have read these that I highly recommend:

'Anything' by author Olivia Laing

'Do Not Ask The River Her Name' by Sheela Tomy, translated by Ministhy S

'This Changes Everything' by Naomi Klein

'The Great Nicobar Betrayal' curated by Pankaj Sekhsaria

'Everything' by Ursula K. Le Guin