By Adity Choudhury
As bibliophiles throng the week-long Shillong Book Fair (SBF) at the State Central Library premises, the excitement among them is palpable. The old and young can be seen buying books or reading blurbs… their eyebrows converge where the third eye resides, a sign of concentration.
“Reading will remain irrespective of the digital age. There is a different charm in holding or smelling a book. Nothing can beat this,” a young student said, smiling. On her left shoulder, a big bag containing an assortment of academic books and classics (fiction).
One can argue that reading, as a habit, has declined. There is, perhaps, some truth in this observation. What we see unfolding in front of our eyes is the increased dependence on technology. Kindle, for instance, is another preferred medium of reading.
M Syiemlieh (true identity withheld on request), a government official, said, “I am fine with both formats. I have a personal library of books, yet got myself a Kindle. They are two different worlds but the function is the same, i.e., to keep reading alive.”
His wife, A Thabah, an educator, added, “If you ask me, I would prefer books any day. That said, we cannot deny the impact of the digital age. What we need is a balance between the two worlds.”
Both are avid readers and proudly show the two bags, filled with books, ranging from technology, comic books to fiction by writers from the North East. In unison, they said, “We will come back again with our children.”
SBF is a joint collaboration between the National Book Trust (NBT), India, Government of India and Departments of Arts & Culture and Education, Government of Meghalaya. Ending on October 3, it aims to foster reading across the country, urban as well as rural.
As a spokesperson (true identity withheld on request) of NBT said, “We plan to travel the length and breadth of India to counter challenges to reading and promote the habit. In rural areas, for instance, language is often a challenge. Not everyone is well-versed in English. Does this mean, they should not read? Why should a section of our population suffer because of this? Walk around and you’ll see books in different languages. Translating important literary works is definitely part of our bigger plan.”
The book fair is “a tribute to Meghalaya’s rich literary and cultural heritage” and aims to “showcase a diverse collection of books, including the works of local authors and regional literature spanning various genres”.
Forty eight stalls grace the venue. Among them, Sahitya Akademi, Woodpecker, Akansha Publishing House, Eklavya Foundation, and Nayyar Book Service. Shivangi Book International, for instance, has attracted the student community. In one section of their stall, books can be bought at Rs. 200 (per book). Other stalls have books that can be purchased at Rs. 100 and Rs 150.
Building Trust
This literary soiree in the capital of Meghalaya speaks volumes about NBT. With a mission to support and strengthen the Indian publishing industry, they have adopted a strategic approach to achieve their goals.
This can be further seen in their logo, designed by the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and showcasing harmony of tradition, innovation, earthiness and imagination. The banyan tree stands for stability and knowledge. While the leaves symbolise an open book, the reddish-brown background colour represents ties with the Indian soil.
In promoting Indian authors and writers, they encourage young voices through mentorship schemes while acting as a platform to diverse storytellers. NBT also seeks to capture ethnic and indigenous Indian art forms in books. It does make a difference to see such works in national and international platforms… a key aim for the Trust.
Verma, a book distributor from New Delhi, is optimistic about the Trust. Speaking in Hindi, he said, Dekh ke achha laga ke log pehle din aayein. Aaj bhi aayein hain. NBT achha kaam kar raha hain, aur apne taraf se hum sahayata kar sakte hain (as) pustak vahak. (It was great to see people come on day one. They have come today as well. NBT is doing good work and we can support them as book distributors.)
As part of its programme, the Trust supports Indian publishers by providing opportunities for them at NBT book fairs, including international book fair platforms for copyright and translations, to name a few.
Apart from these initiatives, NBT also provides opportunities to entrepreneurs in book distribution and sales, in addition to the programme for unemployed graduate youth. Skill development is another facet of their work. In-depth training is given to aspiring professionals in book publishing, along with professional training to people in the field of publishing.
One of the many projects is the Aadan Pradan series, which involves translation of select books of one language into the language of the paired state, as part of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme. Their booklet mentions, “The series is of particular importance because of its unique potential for forging national integration through the exchange of creative literature of the different regions.”
Children’s literature is an essential component of their work… observed in SBF. Books such as Barbie: You can be a Video game Programmer, Tintin, Mr Stink and Manga (Japanese graphic novels) like Spy x Family, Demon Slayer, Tokyo Ghoul, and Naruto, among others, has attracted their attention.
Since 1993, NBT has monitored, coordinated and aided the publication of children’s literature through the National Centre for Children’s literature (NCCL). No wonder then that most stalls cater to them.
What SBF Offers
Book lovers, especially the elderly, seem to be interested in the Sahitya Akademi stall. Some of the books are Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, We Speak in Changing Languages: Indian Women Poets (1990-2007), Rabha Folk Tales, Garo Literature, and Splendour in the Grass: A Selection of Assamese Short stories in English, to name a few.
Fiction by North East Indian writers and non-fiction by scholars from the region find space in some stalls. MLCU Press and Ri Khasi Book Agency have seen people visiting their respective stalls.
Shravya Educational Aids (SEA) is a particularly interesting stall. Established in the late 90s, they work with educational institutes to provide classroom teaching aids, including lab requirements for chemistry, physics, botany, zoology and mathematics.
Self-help books, encyclopedias, and translations are other categories that seem to attract readers.
SBF is a welcome change from routine, a sense of calm in the growing disquiet of the digital age. A break from endless scrolling beckons everyone.
Future generations can attest the popularity of books. As people embrace pdfs and Kindle, an inevitable outcome, it depends on us to build and sustain legacies. If the past informs the present then it is our collective responsibility to keep books alive. For the present will shape the future.