Chapters – the coziest bookstore in town

Wandering into Chapters bookstore for the first time, ensconced in a cozy nook in the heart of Colombo, for what was meant to be a quick browse through the books on their shelves will result in you spending endless hours amidst the wonderful offerings on display. A haven for any lover of books, Chapters predominantly features a small oasis of splendid children’s literature including amazing picture books, the world’s best workbooks, and classics in gift book formats authored by the world’s best authors and children’s laureates.

One does not have to be a child to fall in love with the selection of books and the complete collection of Winnie-the- Pooh in a beautiful hardback edition with striking illustrations was definitely a highlight and is a gift that would be appreciated by a discerning booklover of any age. The kiddy section also contains colouring and activity books featuring favourite children’s characters and educational toys.

“Each book featured in the store is handpicked by me, after a careful filtering process with a lot of research on the internet, through which I select the best authors and illustrators,” explained Chapters bookstore Director Sepali De Silva. “I go directly to the publishers, wherever they are, talk to them and select and purchase the best books directly from them.”

Chapters bookstore is also the authorized representative for Brain Quest workbooks and quiz decks in Sri Lanka. First published in 1992, Brain Quest is the fast-paced, curriculum-based educational game – a quiz deck that challenges kids on the stuff they need to know, when they need to know it. Brain Quest is America’s number one educational best seller with over 32 million copies sold worldwide. From ages two to thirteen, there’s a deck for everyone.

On the same educational lines, the bookstore carries other valuable workbooks which are less in price but not in quality and will add variety to learning. The ‘I Can Learn’ workbook series is equally fun and interesting to children although different to Brain Quest in its format and approach. As you check out of Chapters pick up a handy Electronic Dictionary Bookmark for your kids. Yes it’s a bookmark, it’s a Collins dictionary and it’s a gadget and sits handily in the book so your kid will not lose the plot for a few difficult words. Keeping with the Chapters promise of delivering high quality products, this is an item which has won the Gift of the Year 2011 in the stationary category in the UK.

If you are going on a long drive with kids or want some wind-down activity which is useful for them pick up an audio book at Chapters. On the shelves you will find children’s classics such as the Three Musketeers, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Robin Hood, Wizard of Oz, Alice in wonderland, Huckleberry Finn and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  The modern classics in audiobooks include collections by Michael Morpurgo and the ever popular Roald Dahl.

Getting back to print - kids who have finished with Roald Dahl can step into the world of little known Mr. Gum who has walked off with the Roald Dahl awards. And if your kids are done with Harry Potter they should explore the Emerald Atlas, the beginning of an equally exciting series.

The tween, teen to young adult section of Chapters showcases Shakespeare gift editions in striking formats, and authors like Christopher Paolini, Phillip Pullman, J.R.R Tolkien, Berlie Doherty, Lynne Reid Banks, Lois Lowry, Jenny Nimmo, William Nicholson, Jamila Gavin and the current children’s laureate Julia Donaldson (Running on the Cracks).

For adults Chapters carries carefully selected current international bestsellers and award winners. Check the shelves for Siddhartha Mukherjee’s masterly ‘biography of cancer’ which makes for a great story, as well as an important history of scientific progress. This winner of the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction in 2011 recently won a second, the Guardian First Book award. On the shelves is another book which competed for this same award titled ‘Pigeon English’ by Stephen Kelman who was previously shortlisted for the booker prize. Kelman is expected to participate at the Galle Literary Festival.  

Chapters has many special areas of interest - from parenting and childcare to pregnancy and menopause; from light hearted to profound novels, gift books for art lovers, cooks and history buffs.  The bookstore carries the latest releases from the world of fashion to the world of business. If you are a tourist looking for Sri Lankan gifts for kids or adults Chapters’ shelves dedicated to Sri Lankan authors are worth a visit.

Chapters has a distinct shelf of books by the participant authors of the 2012 Galle Literary Festival to make it easily recognizable for those who plan to visit. Chapters is a ‘Friend of the Festival’ and is happy to sponsor the events by multiple award winning author John Boyne the author of the ‘Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, ‘The Mutiny on the Bounty’, ‘The Absolutist’ and ‘Noah Barleywater Runs Away’. The reason for sponsoring John Boyne is because Chapters is a bookstore that showcases award winners for all ages and John Boyne is an award winning author for all ages.

Enhancing your reading pleasure at Chapters is their own coffee bar where you can treat yourself to great tasting coffee, tea and cookies while you read or discuss a book with a friend or just relax and enjoy some jazz. The Chapters lounge which can seat up to 20 people in one sitting is available for book clubs and for small group book launches or any literary event for a small group. If you can tell a great story, enjoy book reading events, or you can enthrall a small crowd as a poet or a standup comic Chapters would love to hear from you.

Pix by Daminda Harsha Perera