On Indian writing in English

The speakers’ list at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival (Zee-JLF) generally works as a useful guide to what is happening in the world of books. Follow the list and you are sure to come across several new authors, and old established names that have been making waves because they have had, or will have, books out soon. Judged by this yardstick, what the speakers’ list at this year’s festival has to say must give the world of Indian publishing some pause, if not cause for worry. At least, when it comes to literary publishing.

Run a quick check of the big-ticket names at the Festival this year, specifically for those who practice the art of ‘literature’, as opposed to churning out quickies that can be read cover to cover in the space of one longish flight or books on economics, history, strategic or political affairs, that one sees so much of at the Zee-JLF every year. There was Paul Beatty, the latest Man Booker Prize winner, as the main draw, backed by a few earlier winners of the coveted Prize – Alan Hollinghurst and Richard Flanagan, eminent, established writers with substantial oeuvres. And then the poets: Anne Waldman, reknown American experimental poet, but more of a cult figure we know of from history of literature classes. And Kate Tempest, who is among the brightest of young sparks around, a billing she more than justified with a mesmerising performance of her long-form verse Let Them Eat Chaos. 

Yes, where were the Indians? Sadly, few and far between. Among the best known were Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, venerable writer of feminist-themed (mostly) novels who is out with a book this year; and Karan Mahajan, who’s The Association of Small Books has been the unexpected recipient of rave reviews in the West (even as it has been largely ignored back home here). Among the significant others were Tabish Khair, much-feted novelist, poet, writer, whose latest novel, Jihadi Jane, tackled the burning issue of our times – what makes young men and women, brought up with every privilege and liberty in the West, join extremist Islamists? And there was Manju Kapoor, who, too, had a book out this year. For the rest, there were Manu Joseph (as moderator of a few sessions, rather than panelist), poet-novelist Keki Daruwalla, Vikram Chandra, Mridula Koshy, Tishani Doshi, and Chandrahas Choudhury. None, really, of the top rung.

The point here is not to run down any of these authors, but to ask – where are the Indian Writers in English, the ‘IWE’ category that was once a darling of the English publishing scene internationally? Are there fewer books in the category coming out, or is it that they are coming out to less and less acclaim? Last year, for the first time in many years, not a single book by an Indian writer, even one of Indian origin such as Sanjeev Sahota who was on the 2015 shortlist, made it to the Man Booker Prize longlist. Publishers might well say that the Man Booker is no arbiter of merit – indeed there are many things to be said about the politics of international prizes. But the absolute no-show must say something about the general state of fiction writing in English in these parts. Have English writers, in a sense, run out of new stories that will take the world by storm? Or does the problem lie with our publishing industry that has become too accustomed to the easy profits of pulp fiction and does not want to risk its money on something unconventional?

It is possible, of course, to look at the phenomenon in terms of the global turn towards non-fiction, which now accounts for nearly two-thirds of all books sold (with self-help and colouring books as the two largest categories!).

And indeed, with the likes of Rishi Kapoor and Aishwarya Rajnikant Dhanush trying their hand at writing, it is no wonder that the publishing industry has so little time for the staid literary novelist. Perhaps, Arundhati Roy, who is out with her first novel in 20 years, will turn the tables in favour of the literary novel this year. What are the chances Roy will be in Jaipur next year?

The author is Features Editor, DNA.