The allure of books

Book lovers around the island were eagerly awaiting the commencement of the Colombo International Book Fair, now in its 12th year. The Fair, which began yesterday and due to end on September 26, is slated to attract record crowds this year as well, to the BMICH.

This is a healthy sign, despite the fears and dire warnings that we are getting away from books en masse. The lure of the television screen is too much to resist and the younger generation is increasingly infatuated with the computer screen, gaming devices, MP3 players and smartphones.

Sri Lanka has one of the highest literacy rates in the Asian region. It also has near-universal education, all paid for by the State. These are commendable achievements for a developing country. Indeed, we are on par with most developed countries when it comes to literacy and education.

Not surprisingly, Sri Lanka also has a vibrant publishing industry. There are close to 100 news and special interest (women, youth, sports, astrology, education, cinema, computers, cartoon, children etc) publications in the vernacular languages (Sinhala and Tamil) and a lesser number of publications in English. Several new books are launched each month by local writers through big publishing houses. This year's Book Fair will also see its fair share of new books, which we are certain will be received enthusiastically by the public.

This is indicative of the fact that there is a vast readership in the country for books and newspapers despite the advent of FM radio and television channels.

A book is arguably a wholly different experience, where you have to imagine the world portrayed by the storyteller. It is this unique feature that attracts people to books. They open the doors to a new world where nothing is impossible and the only limit is your imagination.

Yet it is true that especially the younger generation is moving away from books, apart from their textbooks perhaps. This trend has to be countered from an early age, both at home and at school. After all, the saying goes that "Reading maketh a full man" (or woman as the case may be). Parents must encourage their children to read books, not just study their textbooks or do homework. Granted, these are essential factors in education, but reading helps a child to develop language skills as well as gain new knowledge. There should be a TV-free time zone in every household, which can be devoted for reading. Furthermore, if parents read regularly, the children will also pick up the habit without any prodding. Indeed, every house should have a mini library - a house without books is no home, so to speak.

Schools should encourage students to take the maximum advantage from their school libraries and the municipal libraries in their respective areas. At school, during our time, we were told to visit the library and browse whenever there was a 'free' period, which kindled our interest in books. This formed a special bond with the library and its contents. The more students read, the more they will be attracted to the magic of the printed word. Of course, parents must be mindful of what their children are reading whenever possible, just as they limit what they watch on TV and access on the Web.

The State should provide more incentives and concessions to writers, especially authors of children's books, for publishing children's books is not a very profitable business. Publishers too could be given more assistance. Such works should gain more recognition at literary festivals. A fine example from overseas in this regard is the imminent publication of a new children's book by US President Barack Obama, titled 'Of Thee I Sing'. That is a message to the publishing world and Governments that children's books should be taken more seriously.

The media too must promote children's writers and their books, which have the potential to attract more children to reading.

Since most children would be unable to tackle some of the famous books written in English, there should be more Sinhala and Tamil translations of such works. This will also propel them to read the original English books later when they have a better grasp of that language.

Having said that, the computer should not necessarily be regarded as an enemy of books or reading. With access to the Internet and the right software, thousands of out-of-copyright and classic works of literature can be downloaded to your hard drive. Google is already working on making available millions of books online through Google editions and retailers such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble also offer electronic books for downloading to dedicated devices and computers.

These books can also be read on a variety of other devices, including the latest smartphones. In the long run, this might spell doom for printed books, but not for the printed word for se. They will simply move over to cyberspace. Just imagine having any book, published anywhere in any language, being delivered to your PC, reading device or smartphone in under a minute. It is not the future - it is happening now, more or less.

Moreover, there are hundreds of websites about books and authors, which make interesting reading. If parents can steer their video-game playing children towards these resources on the Net, it will be a worthwhile investment for the future.

Quite apart from getting children interested in books, there are many adults who do not read books at all. This is a pathetic situation in a country that boasts of a very high literacy rate. Reading a book is an ideal way to relax after a hard day's work and one can always learn something new from a book, fiction or non-fiction. New words, new phrases, new places - the list goes on.

Thus, the ongoing Colombo International Book Fair is a golden opportunity not only for book lovers but also for those who do not generally read books, to re-discover the allure of books and be enchanted by the magical tapestry woven by the printed word.