If the sales figures of Paolini and other authors is anything to go by, it seems there are several other series’ out recently, that have managed to capture the imagination of readers, both young and old.
Eragon, a fantasy-fiction series by Christopeher Paolini is one of them. The trilogy, which narrates the adventures of a poor farm boy who stumbles upon a timeless legacy, like the Potter series, delves in a whole new world of magic, power and destiny. “The Eragon series is as rivetting as the Harry Potter books. I’ve read the first two books of the series and cant wait to read the third one,” says Bonhi Mukherjee, a first year student of Bethune College.
Artemis Fowl, a series of fantasy novel written by Irish author, Eoin Colfer, is quite popular in Kolkata book shops too. “Artemis Fowl is about a young criminal mastermind who is a flawed hero like Harry, which is why Harry loyalists may find the series interesting,” states Shantanu Banerjee of Oxford Bookstore. “It figures prominently in the bestsellers chart,” he adds.
A round of Kolkata’s most popular bookstores reveals that childrens’ literature is finally being taken seriously by publishers, booksellers and most importantly, writers. “Its high time we woke up to the fact that childrens’ fiction is no longer about Noddy and abridged versions of popular classics. The Harry Potter series has been a wake up call of sorts for us and thankfully, many writers have risen to he cause,” says writer Samit Basu, who recently contributed to the anthology of Indian superhero stories, conveniently titled, Superhero.
However, there are a few non-fiction titles too which have gained popularity in Kolkata. Clearly Gandhiji continues to inspire the youth of the city. His book, My experiment with Truth, is one of the biggest sellers in non-fiction section in city bookshops. Former President, the immensely popular APJ Abdul Kalam’s Wings of Fire and Ignited Minds, are equally popular. “Our publishing for the Indian market is driven mainly by what kids in India are reading. So it consists of fiction set in India or about Indian characters, addressing the interests and concerns of the Indian child,” says Sudeshna Shome Ghosh, Commissioning Editor, Penguin Books India. “In our non-fiction children’s publishing again, we look at what they are reading in schools and newspapers and we build on that,” she adds. Penguin also publishes the best of Indian children’s literature in translation from regional languages.
A crucial factor leading to the boom in children’s literature in the city, and indeed the country, could be the innovative marketing policies of publishers and booksellers. In bookstores like Oxford and Crosswords, young customers are attracted with events and book reading sessions. “These events promote awareness among young readers and we sometimes even get schools to participate in them,” says Pooja Raja of Crosswords Bookstore. Children’s literature, clearly means business these days.