Words by Axam Maumoon

A sunny day, an ocean breeze under a clear blue sky, bird songs in the air, a bench to sit on under a palm tree shade, what more could you want? Maybe a new book within reach, the old musty smell and all, in your hands without the hassle of a library card or a membership fee? That’s what I’d hope for, and right now? This is actually possible right in our own backyard.

In 1991, open bookshelves were placed around the city of Graz, Austria, as a public performance art stunt, which drew back the veils of bureaucracy over the idea of open knowledge. Clegg & Guttmann, performance artists known around the world, initially treated these shelves as ‘mirrors’ to society; they were filled books donated by the public, accessible to the public, and maintained by the public, so you can sort of see where this perspective comes from. Although these shelves nowadays lie derelict, I would like to see them as martyrs that kickstarted a revolution in the art of reading (the shelves are the martyrs, not the artists I mean, I hope they’re still alive and well).

Today, there are over 7757 open bookshelves, or public bookcases as they are sometimes referred, peppered around the world (you can even see a map of them online!). The actual financial input into this venture came through in 2002, when the Bonn Community Foundation awarded a certain Trixy Royeck, an interior design student, funding for her project “Outdoor books — Books in the Open”, and this signaled to the world that not only was such a project favorable for the public, but could also be utilized in a way to raise the aesthetic standards of the neighborhood in which they are placed.

Let’s discuss some of the notable evolutions of this idea around the world, shall we? In Oerlinghausen, Germany (the country where this venture has garnered the largest traction according to statistics) they stock the bookshelves using books gathered at a “book-exchange”, a public event that’s been happening every Saturday since 2007. In another part of Germany, in the large city of Magdenburg, they host a large, open-air venue with over 10,000 donations from a torn-down library, all ready for access by the public, and in Marburg, there’s a café that hosts an open bookshelf in partnership with the city library, and this partnership ensures that there isn’t a need for too much outside financial support to run and maintain.

Big ideas, and big dreams coming to fruition around the world, and most of the time us Maldivians are left wondering if such magical concepts could ever come to our shores whenever we hear about these stories or experiences. In this case, a group of friends, some fancy woodwork on an old cupboard, donations from a community and two weeks of planning, made this a reality for the people in Hithadhoo, Addu City, on 21st January, 2019.

“Foh Keesaa” is the Maldivian embodiment of the Public Bookcase. Initially started as a recreation of the global, page-turning phenomenon, Foh Keesaa is now a tourist hotspot, not only providing free access to knowledge and storytelling, but also promoting and benefiting the local entrepreneurs and their ‘gaadiyaas’. At the time this article was written, I had reached out to the Facebook page for Foh Keesaa and asked them a few questions to help me shape this piece, but now their answers not only inspire me but also give hope I want to cling to, about our local communities.

They say that at first, when they called for donations, the response was astounding. They received so much that they actually had to close the call for donations as they simply didn’t have the space at that time to stock all those books in easy reach. The venture was so widely appreciated by the public that even school events have been held there, events related to reading and the love of words, which not only shows that the public loves the idea, but the public intends to teach their children to appreciate it as well.

Their chosen location didn’t need too much convincing to be confirmed upon. Easy access to the Link Road? Check. Close to the beach? (Refer to my first paragraph for my views on this) Check. A guest house in the vicinity so tourists can come and donate and read too? Check. Refreshing coconuts in between chapters? Check, thanks to helpful gaadiyaa businesses. According to them, these local businesses actually provide more than just a refreshing drink for an interested book-worm. They also give the area a modicum of security as well as the upkeep of the location, keeping it clean and welcoming to any wandering adventurer of words. Even during this hellish pandemic we are collectively suffering through, the Foh Keesaa has proven to a be haven away from the harsh reality, where people still visit to whisk themselves away into the pages of donated, preloved books. What really gets to me is the fact that most of these books, if not all, would have been read by more than one person, loyally and equally giving everyone a chance to experience the magic that they hold, and Foh Keesaa makes this possible on a scale easier than before.

Now, don’t fret, people of Greater Malé, but there is actually an open bookcase right within reach of us as well! The concept of Foh Keesaa, which was established in Hithadhoo, had travelled there from across the atolls from the shores of Hulhumalé, in the form of Foiygaadiyaa, the pioneer project in Maldives. The concept was the same, and so was the drive, and this only shows that a community driven project like this would catch on like wildfire, all the way in Addu too. I mean, I don’t know about you, but what other, punny, catchy names can these awesome people come up with? Oh, and remember the ‘mirror’ into society perspective? Doesn’t the fact that our own public bookcase being so well maintained and supported really show us the goodness in the people of our society?

Foiygaadiaa and Foh Keesaa, a wonderful, wholesome idea, has had so much support in the past couple of years since its birth, and the organisers of Foh Keesaa have told me that they’d received multiple requests to place other such bookcases in so many more locations too. They knew this could be done, as the capital required for this was low to non-existent, yet they also say that Covid-19, the big bummer of 2020, has put quite a damper on their efforts, but this doesn’t mean us, the common people, can’t take matters into our own hands.

What?

Wait, you think you can do it yourself?

I bet you can!

Get into that ‘go-getter’ attitude, get some friends together, fetch your old shoe rack, some elbow grease, the good will of the community you’re in, and viola, you could have your very own, public library too (you might need some waterproofing tarp as well, probably). Also, if you’ve got any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Foh Keesaa, on Facebook and instagram. I can personally vouch for the fact that they are nearly always available and would always love to help you out.

So let me just put on my mask, some beaten up shades, a smile, and head over to the beach for a good date with a good book. I probably might see you there, so just stay 3 feet apart and wave, okay? Stay safe, stay healthy, and let’s really make reading all the rage once again.