'This could be the era of South Asian literature'
September 26, 2022 14:16
KPR Nair, founder and managing director, Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd, was chosen by the Federation of Publishers' & Booksellers' Associations in India for its Golden Award for his outstanding contribution to the book industry for more than 50 years.
Nair pointed out that India is the third-largest publisher of English language books and there are more than 9,000 publishers in the country, which include both Indian and foreign.
"As of 2019, the publishing industry, directly and indirectly, employed 1.2 million people," Nair said.
However, the Indian publishing industry is today being hit by unfathomable challenges. The rising paper and printing costs are threatening the very existence of this industry. Though it is a global problem, the repercussions will be severe in our country as India publish in 22 languages.
Social media is a medium that is a boon as well as a bane. It has given a new lease of life to Indian publishing by giving a platform for authors and publishers to promote their books. But it also paved the way for paid reviews which were unheard of in publishing till a few years ago.
Suddenly, they seem to have penetrated all platforms and have started influencing the opinions of readers.
Another issue of concern is the changing reading habits. For a generation that is fully dependent on technology for even their basic needs, libraries and reading rooms are becoming an increasingly alien concept, especially for people in cities.
"This change should be taken due note of and policies need to be formulated to check the selling of fake, counterfeit, and pirated books on leading e-commerce sites. If a proper regulatory mechanism is not put in place at the earliest, it will have an adverse impact on the publishing industry," Nair said.
With the Booker Prize being awarded to Geetanjali Shree, an Indian writer, for a translated work, it is evident that this could be the era of South Asian literature if there is enough support from governments.
Image: KPR Nair, founder and MD, Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd, left, is presented the Federation of Publishers' & Booksellers' Associations in India's Golden Award, by FPBAI President Pradeep Arora at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, September 24.
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