I have forever been a fan of the book fair. Going to the book fair was an annual event that I looked forward to as a child, an adolescent and a youth. In fact, my enthusiasm remains high even after the COVID-19 pandemic and entering my 30s. So, the fact that the New Delhi World Book Fair (organized by the National Book Trust) was coming back after the pandemic hiatus was pretty exciting.
However, after visiting the Book Fair, the enthusiasm quickly faded. After my previous visits to the New Delhi World Book Fair, I would often complain that it is impossible to cover all the halls and stalls as the fair is too vast. One would have to make multiple visits in order to actually see the book fair in its entirety. But this time, in half a day, one was able to cover all the halls – 2, 3, 4 and 5 and hence, the stalls. It is this very act that prompted me to write this piece. I started wondering – what happened to the World Book Fair?
I had been hearing and reading about the losses that the publishing industry has been suffering, and the COVID-19 pandemic further escalating the situation. In fact, one of the leading publishing houses – SAGE – closed its operations in India in July 2022. And one can see this reflected in the 2023 World Book Fair as the number of publishing houses selling both academic and non-academic books was significantly less. There is a lesser number of halls.
Then who was there at the Fair? Well, any person who has visited it will tell you that the halls were full of books of particular genres – books that can help one clear competitive exams, motivational books, spiritual books, self-help books, cookbooks, guidebooks, children’s books, informative books, etc.
There is a visible lack of fiction and non-fiction works. A lot of people I know seemed surprised at this development. But to me, it was not at all surprising. It just makes sense that in the times that we live in, creative works do not have the same importance as books that promote the ideas of productivity. In this neo-liberal society, there is a push towards being productive and competitive where time is seen as money. As such books that can help one be productive are in demand.
Similarly, related ideas of entrepreneurship and self-reliance are also in vogue. There is an active promotion of skill-based education through government initiatives like Make In India, Startup India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Hence such books also find a place of prominence at the World Book Fair.
Again, not surprisingly, spiritual books can be found in abundance at the Fair. There is a significantly visible presence of both religious and spiritual books sold by publishing houses like Osho, etc. This is also reflective of the importance that spiritual leaders have in the current political context. One can actually see spirituality everywhere, be it in television shows, or news channels. Spiritual leaders are even invited to discuss and deliberate on issues of socio-political and economic importance. They talk about how a spiritual outlook can contribute to achieving peace of mind and happiness – things that most young people yearn to possess.
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What, however, struck me was also the number of stalls that are selling children’s books. Most parents that I know are becoming more and more concerned about their children losing touch with books. They feel that children become addicted to technology from a very young age and as such, it’s difficult to build the habit of reading. Thus, these children’s book stalls are also selling audiobooks, illustrative works and picture books that cater to the needs of the younger ones in contemporary times. This adaptation to meet the requirements of a neo-liberal and capitalist society has ensured that stalls selling children’s books are still very much visible at the Fair.
It is often argued that what a particular society is reading reflects what it is thinking. I am not saying that one should not read spiritual or self-help books. But my question is if it is enough. Should we completely let go of creative thinking? The lesser availability of stalls that sell fiction meant that the World Book Fair lost its charm for me. At the same time, there have also been instances of vandalism and hooliganism at the Book Fair. So it also leads me to question the future of a cultural and educational event like the Book Fair.
The World Book Fair is not the same in 2023 as it was before the pandemic!
The author is a sociologist by training and teaches Sociology at Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW), University of Delhi. She is also one of the co-founders of Doing Sociology
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