Zahra Kudrati is a writer, reader, and a quiet believer in the magic of words. She is the founder of Women of Words, a book club dedicated to fostering authentic literary conversations among women in the community. Zahra previously ran Turning Pages Library, a children's library. She made the difficult decision to close it in 2023, as the rising costs of maintaining a space in Mumbai became unsustainable, but the underlying passion for reading keeps her ever optimistic. In this blog, she shares her thoughts about reading in a digital era and what is better — paper or pixels.
For someone whose earliest exposure to reading involved authors like Arthur Hailey, Alistair MacLean, and Jeffrey Archer, treasures I stumbled upon in my dad’s drawers, and magazines tucked away in my mom’s and siblings’ cupboards, my reading journey has been anything but typical. At the age of seven, when most children were enjoying picture books, I was trying to piece together political thrillers and sensational news stories. The only proper "children’s" book I ever read back then was the Harry Potter series, and even that came a little late.
Maybe that’s why, years later, I felt a strong pull to create what I had missed, to build the kind of world I never had: a warm, welcoming children's library. Turning Pages Library was my love letter to a world of picture books, chapter books, and everything in between. It was my attempt to give children a chance to fall in love with books at an early age, with the right kind of wonder. I built a collection of over 1,000 children's books. Stories filled with magic, mischief, and meaning which were all lovingly stored (and currently living with a dear friend, under strict protection). Even today, I have hundreds of books quietly residing under my bed, across my shelves, and in any space my family hadn't already claimed.
When Kindle got kindled
When the Kindle and its digital cousins arrived, it was a no brainer. Until… I used the Books app on my tablet for the first time and realised this was brilliant tech. The highlights and annotations became super convenient to revisit. The long-press feature for word search was another gem. And then, I had some serious thinking to do: Am I Team Paper? Team Screen? Pulp and print or pixels and screens?
I’ll be honest: my heart belongs to the smell of ink and paper, the book-worn edges, the cracked and softened covers. I adore the tangible presence of books and their satisfying weight in my bag (even if it throws out my shoulder).
The title of the book has been blurred at the author's request.
Growing up in a small town, where days felt slow and the world was quieter, books wove a kind of quiet magic into my otherwise ordinary life. They weren’t just stories to escape into; they were the highlights of my day. They continue to live with me, through their spines, their bindings, their pulp and glue. Their very presence hums with a kind of life that makes my world feel fuller, richer, and infinitely bigger. And yet, even as I say this, I won’t pit one against the other. Simply because I can’t deny the perks of digital reading. So, in this matter, I'm Switzerland. (Well...mostly.)
Finding a system that works
Today, as I write this, my "Currently Reading" pile sprawls across both my bedside table and my iPad. I've found a system that works for me. I read expensive books digitally (a nod to budgeting and practicality), and I collect affordable titles in physical form to hold, smell, and stack. After all, the life of a bibliophile often demands both devotion and negotiation. Practicality and passion, working side by side.
If you asked me about my biggest heartbreak, though, it wasn't choosing between a Kindle and a book. It was watching a generation of parents and children lose patience with reading altogether.
At Turning Pages, despite the lovingly curated shelves and warm, welcoming corners, I noticed many children weren’t instinctively reaching for books. Screens and especially animated stories on YouTube often won their attention first. It became clear to me that the culture of reading for pleasure was quietly slipping away. I came to understand that the library, though built with love, needed more than nostalgia to thrive.
Not because books weren't enough, but because the audience I was trying to reach was being pulled in too many directions. And that was an issue more serious than any Kindle-versus-book debate.
Crux of the matter
Which brings me to the real point: it’s not about how we read, but whether we read. Our world is saturated with endless notifications, mindless scrolling, and fleeting attention spans. So, the very act of sustained reading, whether it is through a hardcover or a Kindle, is an act of choosing depth over distraction, and presence over passivity. Whether you turn pages or swipe screens, it is a quiet act of rebellion against all that noise, and the omnipresent algorithm in our lives.
So, no, I don’t endorse one format over the other. I am simply grateful that stories and the written word still find their way to us. If technology makes reading easier, more accessible, or simply more convenient, why not embrace it? If carrying a hundred books on a single device makes your life easier, that's a marvel in itself. And if the joy of flipping through a paperback or holding a beautiful hardcover fills your heart the way nothing else can, well that’s magic too. At the end of the day, it’s all about whatever floats your boat.
