This is another record-breaking bumper hit saga of RRR. No, we aren’t talking about director S S Rajamouli’s recent movie RRR. It is a fascinating fairytale-like yet true story of Ragulan, Ramesh, and Reading. When the three united, they created Pick A Book (PAB). Intrigued to know more? Then, you can’t help but read on!
In a rendezvous with Ramesh (popularly known as KVT) and Ragulan Tharmakulasingam, we tried to decode the element of reading which led them to a thumping success and transformed the lives of millions. For them, books meant relief after a long grinding day and a source of inspiration to keep moving forward.
It started with the marketing team of Ragulan and KVT Ramesh’s organization Epitom Digital in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where every member had to present a chapter of a book they’ve read to the others.
“The concept grabbed the attention of others in the company. Slowly, the framework of reading out a book, became an activity all used to look forward,” narrates Ragulan while interacting with Life Beyond Numbers.
“We started noticing its positive impact on the staff, which sparked the idea. We have always shared enthusiasm for bringing about a positive change in people’s lives and launched the concept as a book club,” Ramesh shares as he joins the conversation.
The name is quite catchy. ‘Pick a Book’ rhymes and prompts one to take action. Is there a story behind that too?
The duo shares how and why it was christened so.
“Everything starts with an action. To make reading a part of your life, you first must make a habit of picking a book. You needn’t read several books to change your life; one single line from a book is enough to bring about a positive transformation,” informs Ramesh.
“If you look closely, this transformation is highlighted in the ‘B’ of Pick a Book. It illustrates a butterfly. We want to convey just like the beautiful metamorphosis a butterfly goes through, picking up a book and making reading a part of life will only make you a better person,” narrates Ragulan.
As Co-Founders of Pick A Book, they have been into book reading. Ragulan identifies himself as an avid reader, and books have been his mentor in all his endeavors. Likewise, KVT is a bibliophile, and books have been the go-to source for drawing suggestions and guidance for his several training and mentoring workshops and so on. Both start and end their day by reading a book.
Also, read: This Teacher Started A Free Self-Help Library With Her Own Funds To Promote The Habit Of Reading
Every great book has the power to bring an unimaginable internal shift in the reader. Ragulan is a glaring example. For him, it’s all the books by Jim Collins and Simon Sinek, especially Sinek’s ground-breaking book Start With Why. Their impact on his life and way of thinking is beyond paramount. The list includes The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma for Ramesh. It has been a strong discipline inducer in his life.
Many of us fail despite being willing to inculcate a good habit. But it becomes more effortless when one attempts it by becoming a part of a group with the same goal. Pick A Book is that ecosystem of readers, encouraging everyone to embrace book reading as a habit.
The club function on a simple model. Every week, members get together for a book presentation session. A presenter reads and analyzes a book thoroughly beforehand and then presents it in front of an audience. It’s a structured model to inspire others to read the presented book. This structure also helps the presenters improve their public speaking and presentation skills.
Pick A Book runs under different segments that suit various age groups and organizations. Every segment operates on different annual membership charges and differs from country to country.
We are in an era of e-books. In such a scenario, how do the Co-Fos see a physical book stand in the competition? KVT answers:
“While it’s true the popularity of eBooks is on the rise due to its convenience, I don’t see it as a competition at all. My whole experience with reading has been with physical books, and I am yet to read an eBook. Meanwhile, the publication is still one of the biggest industries, with print books dominating other forms of entertainment. That is because there’s nothing quite like touching the book, turning the pages, holding it in your hands, and for most book lovers sniffing the pages.“
Recollecting the formative process of PAB, Ragulan shares that setting up and launching were hassle-free. They launched Pick A Book in Sri Lanka during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic on the 22nd of February. In India, it was on the 8th of March, 2020. They anticipated the pandemic as a massive challenge, but it proved advantageous to PAB. People were so low in morale. With months of lockdown imposed, there was a significant increase in interest in the club.
Acting swiftly, the new normal, i.e., switching to the online platform PAB, hosted several book presentation sessions. Books became a form of solace, positivity, and a fantastic way of entertaining the participants. Pick A Book is currently operating in four different countries: Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, and the UK.
The book club functions under different segments – the adults club is for 20 years and above, the teens club serves kids aged 13 to 19, and the junior club caters to kids aged 5 to 12. There are also institutional clubs for schools, universities, and colleges and clubs operating for corporates and gated communities. These different segments are structured to keep the consistency of reading going strong. Pick a Book is a bootstrapped venture. KVT Ramesh and Ragulan fund the operations. Of course, they have a revenue model of annual membership fees to go along as well.
What shifts Co-Fos have observed in people after becoming members of PAB?
“We’ve had readers who read books sporadically now do it consistently. People who haven’t picked up a book in years have now become readers for life. The junior readers have found the joys of reading and sharing their knowledge and positivity as well as influencing others of their age to become readers,” mentions Ragulan.
“We’ve seen a massive shift in positivity, motivation, engagement, and meaningful social interactions through PAB’s corporate segment. People in large multinationals have rediscovered their true potential with the help of books. Another transformation through PAB is that all our members are now very confident with their public speaking and presentation skills,” shares Ramesh.
According to Co-Fos, Pick A Book’s USPs are unlike most book clubs which are primarily regional; the former offers a global connectivity platform. PAB has had cross-country meetups having members from different nations participating. If a member from, let’s say, Sri Lanka visits India, they can easily merge with the Pick a Book club in India. Its seven training modules help members excel at what they do. Some key ones are – speed reading, habit mastery, public speaking and presentation skills, mastery in reading, and leadership skills.
PAB also has certifications and recognition of achievements. For example, the members who have presented more books are awarded the term Star Presenters and members who have presented more than six books are given the badge of Book Aficionados. Thus, it works in a highly structured manner encouraging and motivating members. Heightened public exposure is another advantage of PAB.
“One of its events is the Flip Side Webinar Series. Ideally, it has two to three panelists from different clubs come together to discuss books and a moderator who will ask questions from the participants. Meanwhile, in a Readathlon session, members meet online or offline to present and discuss a great line-up of books. To add value to our members, we are incessantly evaluating and tweaking our different structures,” apprises Ragulan.
Also, read: 7 Enid Blyton Books For Children To Read During The Lockdown
Elaborating more about Readathlon, KVT shares:
“Readathlon is a book marathon where six different presenters present six different books, from fiction to non-fiction, in one day. We recently had two back-to-back Readathlon sessions in Vizag, India. It was a huge hit. We had the Junior Readathlon on the 28th of May, 2022, and the session saw over 100 participants. The next day, we had the public Readathlon session with 100 participants. These highly interactive, fun, and inspirational sessions created quite a hype in the Pick a Book club in Vizag, India.“
Technology sits at the core of PAB and helps accelerate multidimensional growth and reach. Harnessing its power, the Co-Fos are fine-tuning the platform, letting its readers get connected with other members globally. Work is on to add more training modules. The public can access these modules for a nominal cost. A search engine that recommends a specific book when people type a challenge they’re facing is also in the works.
Informing about PAB’s future plans, Ragulan updates that their focus is currently on expansion, and they aim to mark the club’s presence in 100 countries and inspire a million readers. The immediate plan is to set up bases in Australia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Canada.
The Co-Fos has a message to convey to readers on behalf of PAB.
“I would want both readers and non-readers to read more, share more, and create a positive impact in the society with the help of books. All leaders are readers, and from the moment you become a reader, your whole perspective changes, your outlook of life changes, and your behavior become more positive,” opines Ragulan.
“A change that can be brought about by reading in an individual can become the change tomorrow in the society, and that can have a great impact on the country and, ultimately, the world. This is what we mean by a positive global movement. All you have to do is take that first step, pick a book, and spread the positivity,” recommends KVT Ramesh.
Are you eager to be a part of Pick A Book?