While the picturesque town had mostly everything you would dream of in a hill station, beautiful views, crisp weather, and a close-knit community, what was needed before Lum Shaiza came into the picture was a bookstore-cum-library, a space for reading, learning, and unwinding.

Lum Shaiza, a native of Ukhrul Town in Manipur, is actually an author. She released a poetry book titled "Things That Grow On Us" in October 2023.

However, once she opened the bookstore, she felt she still lacked knowledge in the field. "About three years ago, I opened a bookstore out of pure passion, only to realise I knew very little about the trade or the industry. I understood that passion alone wasn't enough; I needed to learn how this world actually works," she told EastMojo.

To hone her skills, she decided to move to Pune, where she worked at the head office of Crossword Bookstores, the largest book retailer in India.

There she learned to have a wider view of the book world, connect with authors and people from the publishing industry, and get a better sense of how bookstores are run, what goes into book marketing, and the larger ecosystem around books, gaining friends as well as mentors along the way.

Three years later, she has now returned home to Ukhrul with a heart set on making Prologue what it was set out to be-a home for book lovers, a space that nurtures readers.

"I always knew I would return home. It was never a question of if, only when. This year, it felt right to take that step again and put to use all that I've learnt," she explained.

It was back in 2021 when she decided to open a bookstore, but she felt it was not enough. With a passion to share her love for literature with her townfolk and to encourage young readers, she decided to open a library, the Prologue Library.

"It began only as a bookstore. A library wasn't part of my dream at all. But through the experience of running the bookstore, I started thinking more seriously about access. Books can still feel distant or unaffordable to many people. A library felt like a way to remove that barrier," said Lum.

She had always imagined the space in her head-a space of her own, where she could pour in all her little whims and still have fun within the endless cycle of the inevitably stressed adult life.

Ukhrul, despite its majestic hills, is still, like many other towns in the hills, wanting for development. And it is a rugged road in Viewland Bazaar that leads to Prologue. In between shops that sell leather bags and boots, a white signboard leads you to a corridor.

Around fifteen steps later, you are welcomed into a room full of plants and books, a few wooden benches and tables, endless hot water, and a full view of clouds nestled above blue hills. And a room that has everything from pages penned by the world-famous Murakami to writers from nearby neighbours such as Emiselna Jamir.

Talking about the space, Lum told EastMojo, "I wanted the space to feel open and breathable, but also warm and inviting. With that as a guiding principle, I've been slowly adding to and improving the space over the years. The place comes with a beautiful view of the mountains and the sunset, so it takes care of the atmosphere by itself. I just need to keep adding more chairs, tables, and a lot of plants. Something I did very intentionally from the start is creating small reading nooks behind bookshelves, so even within a public space, people can find a quiet corner for themselves."

The space also holds events such as open mics for poets, writing workshops, and author interactions. "One thing I'm especially proud of is the North East India AV Archive. It gives access to a large catalogue of audio and visual archive material from the region. It's something quite special, especially for young people who want to explore the history and cultures of the North East," she stated.

While it is the dream of most book lovers to open a scenic library, there are few who are courageous enough to take that plunge. Even Lum had some fears, but she decided to take the path anyway. "The fear that I still don't know enough to run a good bookstore or library is always there. But I've learned to move forward with that feeling, instead of waiting to feel fully ready."

Her biggest motivation was to find readers.

To find readers, Lum brings together what she learned during her time at Crossword and also attempts to take the liberty to experiment without relying too much on any proven rulebook.

"These days, about 80% of my time goes into planning for the growth of the library, creating awareness, planning events, and engaging with visitors to understand their experience and how we can improve it. With a vision that's bigger than what a team of three can currently handle, there are a lot of hats to wear," she said.

This work, she said, is closely tied to the larger challenge of building a reading culture in the town.

"In cities, there is already a strong reading culture. When I was working at Crossword's head office, the question we often asked while planning marketing activities was: how do you engage readers? Here, the question is very different-how do you find or create readers?"

The 31-year-old has many dreams for the space. Firstly, she is working on making it a space that preserves Tangkhul literary history.

"I want this library to eventually have a copy of every Tangkhul book ever published. In some way, it is a way of preserving our literary history and also creating a stronger foundation for the growth of our literature. Right now, I'm focusing a lot on North East literature, especially Tangkhul books. Many of these works are scattered, and sometimes it's hard to even know they exist."

She has also received book donations from friends, which helps to balance the collection, and with time, she hopes to have a diverse collection from across the country and the world.

"I'm also trying to let the space grow organically, to let it be shaped by the people who use it. Over time, I hope it reflects more of Ukhrul's own unique voice-its language, its stories, and its way of storytelling."

Lum's dreams for the library also include the hope that it will become a key landmark in the town.

"I hope it will gradually become a place people associate very strongly with knowledge, curiosity, conversations, and storytelling. I also hope it becomes a key landmark in the town, a place that everyone knows of and is used as a point of reference for where they are and where they're going."

Most importantly, Lum says she believes the best outcome of the Prologue library and bookstore would be someday hearing that Ukhrul is a town known for its love for books.

"I do hope that the library becomes sustainable and is embraced by the community. I also hope that it helps create space for more bookstores and libraries to open in Ukhrul. If, someday, our town becomes known for its love for books, I think that would be a very meaningful outcome."

The space itself carries small details that regular visitors come to recognise. It has two doors-the main entrance and a smaller back door. Over time, the smaller one has become the more commonly used entry due to convenience.

"Despite a very clear sign that says 'Watch your head!', almost everyone hits their head the first time they walk in," she said. What began as an inconvenience has, over time, turned into something of a shared experience among visitors, almost like a quiet announcement of arrival.

"It's unintentionally become a bit of a tradition at this point. Like a doorbell," she added. "Not the best way to be remembered, but I suppose the library has its own way of imprinting itself on people."

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