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| Wednesday, 19 January 2005 |
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Sarasavi Bookshop - a dream come true : Bringing universe to every man's doorstep by Aditha Dissanayake The owner of the Sarasavi Bookshops, and known among his friends as Prem, Premasiri is proud of his profession because he is imparting knowledge, bringing the universe to every man's doorstep while earning a living. After all, there can be no picture so pleasing in the world than that of a customer peering into a book (regardless of whether he or she buys it) because no one looks quite as attractive as when they have a book in their hands. How many people would have fallen in love merely at the sight of someone reading? Probably hundreds. Something which could happen to you too if you are at any one of the Sarasavi bookshops on any day of the week between 8.30 in the morning to eight in the night. There, on one shelf pines Madam Bovary, while Keats looks into Robert Frost who looks at Homer, who looks at Martin Wikramasinghe. War and peace, Pride and Prejudice, Charita Thunak, Kuweni... books of every kind from Longman to Penguin to local publications. And competing for attention beside the books is the stationery, from wrapping paper to pencil holders, from posters to paper clips. The whole atmosphere looks like a supermarket where the self-service concept is in use. And a supermarket it is, where hungry minds are being appeased. Origins In fact, the origins of the Sarasavi bookshop, does date back to a supermarket. "Before I turned this into a bookshop there was a supermarket here" says Prem, talking about what is now the main bookshop owned by him in Nugegoda. "When the supermarket went bankrupt and closed down, everybody said it will be foolish to open a bookshop in the same location. Everybody warned me that if people didn't come to buy food at a place like this they will certainly not come here to buy books. But I've always wanted to face challenges. So, I took the risk". A risk which has today, proved worth taking. Selling books runs in the family. Having lost his mother when he was five, when he lost his father at the age of eleven, Prem was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. D.C Weerakoon who owned a bookshop in Padukka. After completing his A/levels Prem helped in running the family business, but decided to strike out on his own in 1973, when he bought the Lotus Bookshop in Nugegoda for Rs. 25,000. Having begun with only two employees, he now has a staff of 200. Bookshop "I had this dream of owning a bookshop like the KVGs. I used to go into the KVG bookshop and observed how things worked and I wowed to myself, some day I will also own a bookshop of my own like the KVGs." "And?" I ask him because he doesn't seem to wish to continue. The answer he gives, says it all "Today I own the KVG bookshop". A typical day in Prem's life begins with an hour's walk at Torrington Square. He returns home to read the Daily News and watch Mul Pituwa on TV. After seeing his wife off to work (she is a teacher at St. Thomas' College), he irons his clothes, gets dressed and walks the short distance from his house to the main bookshop at 8.30 am. The first to come and the last to leave because Prem says "I don't like to go home early and relax while my staff is still working". Soft spoken, gentle and kind, its hard to believe Prem owns the Sarasavi Bookshops, two colour laboratories, a travel agency and a publishing house as well as being the initiator of the International Bookfair held at the BMICH every September. Looking at him is like looking at Stan O Neal, the CEO of Merrill Lynch who once said "People have always underestimated me. I'm counting on that not to change". The words fit Prem too. For more revealing details about this unassuming and gentle entrepreneur, watch Situ Medura tonight at 9.30 on ITN. |
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