India, Aug. 9 -- I f you walk into a quiet Delhi cafe or a secluded studio on a weekend, you might spot a group of young readers sitting together in complete silence, books in hand. There are no reading targets and no pressure to discuss what they are reading. It's just how the young are taking to the trend of slow reading. At its core, slow reading is all about intentionality. Rather than rushing through chapters, it encourages readers to savour every word. Khushi Bagariya, a member of The Librarius Coven, the book club at Delhi University's Gargi College, shares, "It allows new readers to pick up a book without feeling intimidated." She adds, "People often feel anxious joining traditional book clubs where everyone seems like an expert. Our slow reading sessions take that anxiety away. You bring whatever you're currently reading and go at your own pace." Beyond inclusivity, slow reading is emerging as an act of mental self-care in a hyper-fast city. "This is because it is rooted in mindfulness," says Priyanka Sachdeva, founder of the West Delhi-based reading community Brewed Tales, which hosts weekend slow reading sessions. Sachdeva adds, "When you try reading slowly, you notice that your overall mental well-being gets a boost." The setting, too, plays a vital role in these quiet retreats. Anushree Malik from Lodhi Reads explains how their location at the Lodhi Gardens helps create an ideal slow-reading sanctuary: "When it rains, we move indoors to quiet remote spaces. When the weather clears up, we sit amid the greenery of the gardens."...