Arunima Mazumdar, 39, is the founder of Dokusha Book Club, a New Delhi-based group dedicated to Japanese literature. The club reads Japanese books in English translation, opening up conversations around a literary niche that is enjoying a recent boom in India. Outside of the club, Mazumdar works as a communications professional.
1. What sparked your interest in Japanese literature? I studied English literature at Delhi University, and that’s when my love for reading really deepened. But we never read any Japanese works — the English honors program is still very colonial. I discovered Japanese literature around 2011 or 2012 when I picked up “Sputnik Sweetheart” by Haruki Murakami, which became my gateway to Japanese literature.
2. What inspired you to start Dokusha Book Club? Few of my friends were into Japanese literature; most found it boring or absurd. I didn’t have anyone to discuss these books with. In December 2022, I had a month-long break between jobs, so I decided to start documenting my Japanese literature reading journey. I just put it out there on Instagram — and organically, the community grew. Before I knew it, we had 4,000 members.
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