Pune bookstores run out of The White Tiger

When it comes to Indian literature in English, it has always been the West that leads the way for Indian booklovers. Never has this trend more keenly been seen than now. Aravind Adiga's book The White Tiger won the Man Booker Prize award on October 15 and since thenbookstores around town have been left bereft of this certain book. A quick trip to a few stores reveals that it was not till the Man Booker Prize Shortlist was announced in September that sales of The White Tiger started picking up."

"We had the book in stock since February 2006,' says Mary John at Crossword bookstore. " Initially the sales were slow, we recommended it to people looking for new arrivals, but today we are out of stock!" Manney's bookstore in Camp experienced the same trend. Waiting for a new batch to arrive tomorrow, the last of their stock was picked up last evening when Aravind Adiga was announced winner.

At Landmark too, although the book has been re ordered every week since its release, their largest order was just placed yesterday. "We have sold 80 books so far," says Balbir Singhof Landmark, but tomorrow we will get our largest order for 200 copies of the book. We have been getting messages from customers as early as six thirty this morning, pre ordering their copy." Adiga has already said that his second book ‘is almost done’. Rest assured, he certainly will not have to wait long for the next one to be picked off the shelves almost as soon as it gets there!