Centre-stage for Hindi Litt at World Book Fair
9 Feb 2013 1:22 AM GMT
Kumar Pankaj, a professor of Hindi, was at the New Delhi World Book Fair at Pragati Maidan to look for titles to add to his personal collection.
‘I bought fiction, autobiographies and critical writings in Hindi,’ says the professor who is in Delhi just to attend the fair. ‘This is the first annual fair. The World Book Fair used to be a biennial affair before and I would always visit,’ says the professor. Pankaj was only one of the many browsing and buying books at the fair’s Hindi pavilion.
42-year-old housewife Alka Sharma, had already picked up a collection of Kabir’s dohas and a few self-help books in Hindi. ‘I prefer reading in Hindi. It is true that society today is getting increasingly global, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate my language. Global issues can also be addressed in Hindi,’ she says.
Other book enthusiasts were gathered at the authors’ corner, to hear their favourite writers speak. ‘The authors’ corner at the Hindi pavilion attracts a bigger crowd than that at the English pavilion,’ says M A Sikandar, director, National Book Trust (India), which organises the fair in association with the India Trade Promotion Organisation, adding, ‘There is a demand for books in the Indian language, and since last year, we have tried to bring in more publishers of books in Indian languages. This year we have a bigger presence of Hindi language publishers, as well as publishers of books in languages such as Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Gujarati.’
The Hindi pavilion hosts publishers not just from the city, but from Mumbai, UP and other places. Rajkamal Prakashan is one of those that is doing brisk business. ‘There is a very good demand for self help books in Hindi,’ says Amod Maheshwari of Rajkamal Prakashan.
Though publishers agree that increased awareness, globalisation and aspirations for a better life have made a growing number of those from the middle class lean towards English, resulting in stiff competition from English publications, the readership for Hindi, they feel, is still growing.
A spokesperson for Vaani Prakashan puts the yearly growth in business for Hindi works to 15 percent.
‘The popularity of Hindi television serials has also boosted the interest in Hindi books,’ explains Pankaj.
Of course that doesn’t mean all is hunky dory with the world of Hindi publishing. An industry insider says that Hindi books get a step-motherly treatment from the media, with not many keen to review or write about Hindi works. But if the fair is any indication, Hindi is still managing to find its loyalists.
The only thing it needs to do, according to Pankaj, is widen its reach.
‘I bought fiction, autobiographies and critical writings in Hindi,’ says the professor who is in Delhi just to attend the fair. ‘This is the first annual fair. The World Book Fair used to be a biennial affair before and I would always visit,’ says the professor. Pankaj was only one of the many browsing and buying books at the fair’s Hindi pavilion.
42-year-old housewife Alka Sharma, had already picked up a collection of Kabir’s dohas and a few self-help books in Hindi. ‘I prefer reading in Hindi. It is true that society today is getting increasingly global, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate my language. Global issues can also be addressed in Hindi,’ she says.
Other book enthusiasts were gathered at the authors’ corner, to hear their favourite writers speak. ‘The authors’ corner at the Hindi pavilion attracts a bigger crowd than that at the English pavilion,’ says M A Sikandar, director, National Book Trust (India), which organises the fair in association with the India Trade Promotion Organisation, adding, ‘There is a demand for books in the Indian language, and since last year, we have tried to bring in more publishers of books in Indian languages. This year we have a bigger presence of Hindi language publishers, as well as publishers of books in languages such as Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Gujarati.’
The Hindi pavilion hosts publishers not just from the city, but from Mumbai, UP and other places. Rajkamal Prakashan is one of those that is doing brisk business. ‘There is a very good demand for self help books in Hindi,’ says Amod Maheshwari of Rajkamal Prakashan.
Though publishers agree that increased awareness, globalisation and aspirations for a better life have made a growing number of those from the middle class lean towards English, resulting in stiff competition from English publications, the readership for Hindi, they feel, is still growing.
A spokesperson for Vaani Prakashan puts the yearly growth in business for Hindi works to 15 percent.
‘The popularity of Hindi television serials has also boosted the interest in Hindi books,’ explains Pankaj.
Of course that doesn’t mean all is hunky dory with the world of Hindi publishing. An industry insider says that Hindi books get a step-motherly treatment from the media, with not many keen to review or write about Hindi works. But if the fair is any indication, Hindi is still managing to find its loyalists.
The only thing it needs to do, according to Pankaj, is widen its reach.
Next Story
