Thanks to Cecil Pinto, I learnt of an easier and cost-effective way of sending books across from Goa. If you want to buy any books from here, try this out:
Go to any website that stocks books on Goa. Incomplete list below. Check out which are the ones in print. Ask a relative or friend to pick them up (you should get some discount, depending on the place you're buying them from). Then, get the books packed at one of the shops alongside the General Post Office Panjim -- called Deepak Enterprises, the proprietor is friendly and knows his work, a Mr Chari -- or the Mapusa post office (I've not been there). They will pack it for you, in plastic wrapping, with a cloth covering that's open on one side. Postal regulations require this. You can walk over to the post office (before 4 pm, in Panjim's case) and send the books across as a "air packet, printed matter only". Make sure you don't include any handwritten text, note or letter in the packet. This is not allowed under the postal rules. I sent five 200-page books across to Canada and it cost me Rs 360 for postage and another Rs 40 for packaging. It reached in under two weeks. Another five larger books sent to the UK cost me Rs 445. Goanetters interested in knowing more about Goa can use this route to pick up relevant books on the topics. This would also give a fillip to writers working on Goa, help widen understanding on different perspectives related to Goa, and also offer new windows to understanding Goa. Every book on Goa out there can be a promotion for Goa, and can also help to keep touch with understanding the region. You can check out which books are in print by visiting http://www.goabooks.com, http://otherindiabookstore.com/search.jsp (search for GOA), http://shop.rediff.com/bookshop/buyersearch.jsp?crifield=blank&search=1&lookfor=Goa&search.x=0&search.y=0 or http://firstandsecond.com/ (the last two are out-of-Goa, but you might get free postage on books sent within India). Searching for out-of-print jobs can be a tough task. Maybe it's time for someone to set up an antiquarian bookshop in Goa! FN -- Frederick FN Noronha * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org * Phone +91-832-2409490
