Sometimes, all it takes for an idea to occur is a fractured ankle. Shobhna Kumar, founder of Queer Ink, the online bookstore for books on everything on LGBT and sexuality, agrees. “Besides being unable to move, I wasn't able to find books on topics and issues I was interested in. That was when I realised that there was not a single platform where one could access books focussed on non-mainstream issues,” she says.
Later, while working on a project with LGBT communities in Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, she realised that there were many like her — interested in reading matter about sexuality and gender but unable to find what they wanted. “Also they were hesitant to buy from a retail store apprehensive of how other customers and store staff would react to seeing a non-mainstream topic book in their hands.”
This inspired her to start Queer Ink ( >http://www.queer-ink.com/index.php ) where people could purchase books from their own comfort zones, at affordable prices. “Queer refers to anything that is odd or strange. Queer is also an umbrella term for alternative sexualities. Ink refers to the written word. Hence, we stock titles for adults and children that are ‘not the norm' and may not be found in your neighbourhood book store or library,” Shobhna says.
Many genres
The site is easy to navigate and loads easily. Distractions are few; we go straight into the heart of the matter — books and more books. While sections such as Family Friends and Allies and History and Culture have a variety of titles, it's the Young Adults' section that catches attention. “Young adults are generally exploring their sexuality [whether homosexual or heterosexual] and are interested in knowing facts plus other people's experiences. They are also looking for affirmation that they are not the ‘only' ones who feel different. This is important for youngsters since the research influences informed and responsible decisions about their lives. These books are also bought by parents who want more information for better childhood development,” says Shobhna.
Like any other business, this complies with all legal aspects of registration and reporting. Still at the start-up stage, it is personally funded. “We don't expect profits for at least 18 months now,” she says.
The best part of running Queer Ink is to hear customers say: “This book is exactly what I have been searching for.” “The only time we see our customers is during Queer Ink Book Fairs. There is nothing like seeing the delight on customer's faces when they see hundreds of titles on queer (non-mainstream) issues,” Shobhna says. The bestsellers include books for parents, anthologies on coming out, stories on queer India and queer studies.
To encourage more writers in the space, Queer Ink has recently called for submissions for the Queer Ink Anthology: Contemporary LGBT Stories of India. The response, in short, has been “very enthusiastic!”
