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PUNE, 6 Feb: Express Book Service, the iconic bookshop on East Street, Camp, Pune, has been honored with the ‘Best Book Store 2025’ award at the 7th India Reading Olympiad (IRO) Awards, held in Hyderabad. The award ceremony, part of the IRO Literary Festival 2025, took place on 1st February 2025, recognizing the bookstore’s contribution to promoting reading culture in India.
The award was received by Mr. Rohit Jerajani, proprietor of Express Book Service, which has been a literary hub for over seven decades. The bookstore, established by his grandfather late Mr. Jamnadas Jerajani, was later run by his father, late Mr. Manubhai Jerajani, who built lasting relationships with eminent personalities, including Jawaharlal Nehru, JRD Tata, and the Maharaja of Baroda.
During the event, Mr. Jerajani highlighted the bookstore’s ‘Murthy’s Corner’, a tribute to Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and his wife, Sudha Murthy, who were frequent visitors during their courtship. He also spoke about expanding the shop’s reach with initiatives like ‘Books on Wheels’, author interactions, literary festivals, and speed-reading workshops for schoolchildren. “Today, I organize more than 20 author sessions in Pune every month,” he added.
Expressing concerns about the challenges booksellers face, he pointed out the rise of mobile phone addiction among children and widespread book piracy, both offline and online.
The IRO Literary Festival and Awards, organized by the Food 4 Thought Foundation, aim to encourage reading and honor outstanding contributions to the literary world. The foundation, established in 2015, operates 657+ libraries across 21 states and 92 cities, impacting over 100,000 beneficiaries. Their work, including setting up libraries in jails, hospitals, public parks, and even war zones, was acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 116th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
Recognized for its transparency and impact, the Food 4 Thought Foundation previously won the ‘Most Trusted and Transparent NGO’ award from the Asian Leadership Awards in 2022.
