Logos Hope: The world’s largest floating book fair
Anchored close to the dock at the Colombo Harbour is a former white car ferry, a passing visitor to Sri Lanka. However step on board and you’ll discover the world’s largest floating book fair.
Pix by Mangala Weerasekera
The Logos Hope has been renovated to hold cabins, auditoriums and most importantly the bookshop which holds over half a million books. 400 volunteers live on board handling everything from book sales to the overall operation and maintenance of the ship.
Logos Hope is the latest vessel in this project; the first ship to carry a floating book fair was the Logos which was in operation from 1970-1988. Its successor was the Logos II which sailed from 1989-2008.Then came the Doulos which was used from 1977-2009. Logos Hope has been in operation from 2004 up to the current time. This project is managed by GBA e.V. a German based charity organisation.
Logos Hope is staffed by volunteers whose contribution varies from working in the cleaning department as “angels” or as engineers both on and below deck. Most people serve for a term of two years, and are involved in other projects in each country they visit.
According to the ship’s Media Relations representative a volunteer from the UK, the ship is currently home to volunteers of 40 different nationalities. They not only sell books, but are also involved in projects that seek to help people in the country they visit.
The volunteers are exposed to many training sessions while aboard the Logos Hope.
Prior to arriving at a port the team on the shore prior to the ship’s arrival checks out the pressing needs of the community. The volunteers accordingly organise projects on shore, such as providing water purification systems, building infrastructure, or setting up libraries.
The trip to the vessel itself is hassle free and convenient. If you’re travelling by car or van, you park in the car park, purchase a ticket (entrance fee is Rs.100) and then take one of the many shuttle buses that make their rounds to and from the port.
The bookshop is a vision in itself. Complete with wooden floors and shelves it has a varied selection of over half a million books, spanning genres ranging from the spiritual to children’s’ books, travel, self help, cookery, biographies and fiction. The books have been carefully selected to reflect the project’s family oriented values. They also offer a range of CDs from music to speeches and lectures.
Stationery items are also available.
As Logos is an international venture their books are priced in ‘units’ (in Sri Lanka 100 units =Rs. 240). The price range is reasonable, if not exactly cheap. Yet, several hardcover books were cheaper on the Logos when compared to those in the leading local bookshops.
Logos started out with the aim of sharing knowledge through books and hence the books have been marked at a very affordable price as the organisation’s idea was to make reading available to more people.
A children’s’ area with educational videos and volunteers conducting programmes and fun activities for the kids allows parents time to browse. Once done you can relax at their café located towards the exit, which sells baked goodies such as croissants, cookies and brownies, all made on board by the volunteers or cool off with a drink or ice cream cone.
Logos Hope is in Colombo until September 22. They are open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m- 8 p.m. and Monday to Sunday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The ship will be open every day from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. from September 13- 20.
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