Questionnaire 1, Contemporary Indian Literature Project

Excerpts from Questionnaire from the proprieter of Fact and Fiction bookstore in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi.
11 November 2006

Indian Writing in English and the Indian Market: A Questionnaire

1. Has there been a perceptible change in the market for Indian Writing in English within India in recent years?

Of course there has been.

2. How do you date this change within the Indian market for Indian Writing in English – year, decade ?

Post-Arundhati Roy Booker Winner, God of Small Things. (1997)

3. What is the nature/focus of this change?

a) Quantitative - Number of Indian publishing houses have grown.

b) Qualitative - Which genres / kinds of writing have been affected most i.e. fiction, drama, poetry, discursive writing.

Fiction.

4. How do you account for this change ?

a) Trickle-down effect of a boom in Indian Writing in English in the Western Market.

b) Globalisation / Liberalisation, and world -wide interest in India as a consequence.

c) Rapid growth of a English reading public in recent times.

d) Production of writing in English in India which matches the calibre of writing in English from other countries.

5. Are the books in this category that are being showcased now necessarily different from the books that are being and have been showcased in the Western markets as Indian Writing in English?

No.

6. What, if anything, does the growth of an Indian market for Indian Writing in English tell us about literacy patterns / leisure patterns of the English educated classes in our country?

I fail to see any correlation.

7. How far do factors such as media coverage/media promotion impact upon the growth of this market?

Initial hype may curiosity but eventually good writing makes a difference.

8. Who (to whom/for whom) is this writing being targeted at?

English educated elite.

9. Does the English translation market / English originals market have a common target audience ?

Yes.

10. Are books produced for the Indian market inhibited in any way from being marketed outside of India? Are there any trade laws which operate in this regard?

No. Just poor quality writing.

None whatsoever.

11. Can a common thematic/orientation/stylistic be identified as a hallmark of this writing?

Beyond my knowledge.

12. Do you see the emergence of this writing as a temporary / abiding phenomenon?

Yes.

13. Factors such as piracy / pricing as determining factors for this market.

Indian Writing, very rarely gets pirated.

Over-pricing certainly affects.