Want to read Rabindranath Tagore or Vaikom Muhammed Basheer in French? It is possible now, thanks to an initiative by 43-year-old Dominic Shyju. This resident of Vadathula has opened a one-cupboard library that contains a host of French books from his home. Literature, non-fiction and dictionaries are available for “students, teachers and lovers of the French language,” says Dominic, who plans to add more books and shift the library to a more central venue in the city.
The books are from the private collection of Claire Mathey, a French fashion designer who lived in Kochi for nearly four years. When she left during the COVID-19 crisis, she gifted her books to Dominic, who had been a guide in the Fort Kochi area.
