Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Feb 16: Book stalls selling Oriya books at the 31st Bhubaneswar Book Fair are upset at flagging sales, with some even reportedly unable to break even.
“I’ve been unable to sell as many books as I’d have liked. My sales were low this year, but other stalls selling English books reported healthy sales. Last year too there was a similar trend,” said a bookstall owner wishing to remain unnamed.
There was however a small but steady trickle of visitors to the Oriya stalls. A schoolgirl accompanied by her father was seen checking out several books on Orissa’s history and biographies of famous individuals of the state, all written by Oriya writers.
“I read both English and Oriya literature in equal measure. While I like reading English fiction, I love to read books on Orissa’s history and famous people of the state, written by local writers as they have a better grasp of local cultures and sensibilities,” said Ankita, a visitor at an Oriya bookstall.
There are also people who make it a point to visit the fair every year to see if there are any new releases in Oriya literature. While such people might be few in number, they are immediately recognised by stall owners who do not mind giving them discounts.
“I’m a regular here. I’m now retired, and spend most of my time reading. It is hard to find good Oriya literature in bookstores in the city as they don’t update their stock regularly, so I turn to these book fairs every year. I’ve been coming here for the last few years so some of the stall owners recognise me and give me discounts,” said Pankaj Das, a former government employee.
A visitor said a lot can be done to revive interest in Oriya literature, especially among children. “Schools in the city must make a field trip with their students to each book fair. They should just bring the students here and let them browse through the stalls to their heart’s content. I’m sure that would have a definite impact in terms of bringing more young readers to Oriya literature,” said Manohar Samal, a bank employee.
